


A Rose By Any Other Name

by eirenical (chibi1723)



Series: Forget Me Not [3]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers, Power Rangers in Space
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Power Rangers, Break Up, Dysfunctional Relationships, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Empathy, F/M, M/M, Multi-Era, Psychic Abilities, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-15
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 03:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 56,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/593103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibi1723/pseuds/eirenical
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andros and Zhane have fought many battles together, both with and against each other. And no one can cause you pain like the one you love, a lesson they have to learn the hard way. Add in three other Ranger teams and a long-lost sister and even that lesson won't be easy. Sequel to <i>Taking Root</i> and <i>Forget Me Not</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *cracks knuckles* OK, folks. Here it is. 10½ years after _Taking Root_ , I give you the third installment in the _Forget Me Not_ arc of my Power Rangers stories. *thud* It's been a long time coming and I hope you'll enjoy it. ^_^
> 
>  **Fandom:** Power Rangers  
>  **Pairing:** Andros x Zhane, TJ x Ashley... and beyond that, I'm not telling. ^_~  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Warnings:** Slash. Not mine. Don't sue.
> 
>  ** _April 11, 2010:_** OK, everyone -- here's where we finally tie in "Forget Me Not" and "Taking Root," so I remind you that while each of those could stand on their own, this one can not. It won't make sense if you haven't read the other two. So, if you haven't, [go do so now](http://www.chibis.net) \-- you can find both on the PR page. ^_^ This fic takes place in time almost immediately after "Forget Me Not," and includes the Space Rangers (Lightstar Rangers), what remains of their predecessors (Darkstar Rangers), the Earth Rangers and the Zeo Rangers. For those of you counting, that's 19 Rangers. O_O At times, writing this fic felt like herding a group of demented sheep... or three year olds. ^_^ I had originally intended this to be the last fic in the trilogy, but unfortunately, after 89 pages, I hadn't even come close to the point where I originally wanted to get. So, instead of deciding I was insane and taking another 10 years to finish the thing, I decided to lop it off here and do a fourth fic. I know... you're so disappointed. ^_^
> 
> Finally, to all those of you who said it could not (or worse, _would_ not) be done... I say "Hah! See? I _do_ sometimes finish promised fic sequels!" ^_^

Zhane awoke abruptly, with the sudden certain knowledge that something was wrong. After a moment of bleary contemplation, he identified the muffled whimpering that had interrupted his dreams. Certain that the desperate little noises had not come from his own throat, he turned to face his partner. Andros had been sprawled all over him when they went to sleep, comfortably making a pillow out of his chest. Now, his lover was curled up on his side, backed as far into the corner of the bed as he could get without becoming part of the wall. His knees were tucked to his chest and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Another soft whimper escaped his lips.

Zhane lips pulled down into a frown. It had been a long time since Andros had awakened him with his nightmares. He'd thought them gone for good. Apparently, he'd been wrong. He reached out a hand to gently brush Andros' hair from his face. The younger boy actually winced, pulling away as though burned. A wash of hurt spread through Zhane's chest at the move. He knew that Andros shouldn't be held accountable for what he did when asleep, but that didn't mean that his lover's reaction hurt any less.

Andros started to shudder, his whole body shaking as he curled in tighter on himself. The formless whimper became a name. "Karone..."

Zhane brought one hand up to rub at his head, defeated. Of course... How could he have forgotten? He glanced quickly over at the chronometer on his night table. And there it was. Exactly 17 years to the day of Karone's disappearance. He sat up, quietly watching over Andros as he battled his nightmare. He knew from experience that nothing would wake the younger boy until the dreams had run their course. All he could do was watch while his lover suffered... again. He settled back to wait.

* * *

_Andros opened his eyes on a sunlit clearing. Everything was exactly the same as he remembered it. The trees, the flowers, the quaint forest path leading off into the distance. Yet, instead of inspiring joy in him, these familiar images invoked nothing but fear._ Not again... _He shrank away from the clearing, hiding himself behind a nearby tree. He didn't want to see this. He_ desperately _didn't want to see this. Unfortunately, past experience had taught him that that was not an option. This horror would play itself out to the end whether he willed it or not..._

"Karone! Come on, let's go play! It's so nice out!" exclaimed a youthful male voice. No, not youthful -- even younger than that. It was a child's voice, an innocent child. A boy who should have known better than to play that far from home without his parents' watchful guidance. Andros fought the desire to hide his head and instead forced his gaze in the direction of the clearing. He wouldn't be able to do _anything, but he could at least bear witness._

"Not so fast! I can't keep up!" was the answering cry. The voice was equally child-like, but pitched higher. This voice belonged to a young girl. A beautiful, sweet, innocent girl. A girl of tawny-gold hair and an angelic disposition. A girl who could make anyone happy just by smiling at them. Andros choked back a whimper, feeling the familiar grief rising up with eager arms to envelop him.

The boy laughed and ran up the path towards the clearing, "Catch me if you can, Karone!"

Moments later, the sounds of a light crash and the ensuing tussling match resounded through the glade. Moments after that, Karone's voice pealed with laughter, "Pinned ya!"

The boy's voice rang with irritation, yet no small amount of pride, as he answered, "Yeah, yeah. You got me. You win." The two children stood up and the boy produced something from his pocket. Andros winced when he saw what it was: a kinetic ball for practicing telekinesis. The girl didn't have that particular gift, but she had one that she could use with it just the same. She was a weather-worker and was able to produce gusts of wind that would hold the ball aloft as well as the boy's telekinetic powers.

The boy continued, "But I bet you still can't beat me with this!" He tossed the ball playfully into the air, using his telekinetic power to hold it in place and expand it.

The girl tossed her hair over her shoulder and laughed, green eyes flashing with her answering challenge, "Oh yes, I can. I'll bet I can push it higher than you can!"

The boy tossed the ball higher into the air, lightly "pushing" it towards the girl, "So prove it, Karone... I dare you."

And prove it, she did. The lithe little girl created such a strong gust of wind that it pushed the kinetic ball straight out of the clearing. And that foolish, **foolish** boy went running right after it, leaving the girl alone, her delighted laughter ringing in his ears. Andros lurched out from behind the tree, still desperate to somehow stop the next event, even though he'd never been able to in the past... because he knew the boy wouldn't make it back in time.

The girl's delighted laughter turned into a shriek of pure terror as the lumbering form of a large monster burst into the clearing towards her. Andros reached for his morpher then cursed as he discovered it wasn't there. His wrist was bare, like always. He rushed the intruder, yelling for all he was worth, "You stay away from her!"

The intruder brushed right past him, knocking him aside as if he were nothing. The golden-haired girl continued to scream as the monster lifted her over his shoulder and carried her off, her desperate cry like a clarion call in the wilderness, "Andros!!!!!!!"

The boy finally made it back into the clearing, the ball dropping from benumbed fingers as he stared at the empty space where his twin sister had stood a moment before. The older Andros buried his face in his hands and wept. Too late... Always too late... The boy continued to search for his missing sister, a search that Andros knew would take him a lifetime -- a lifetime of desperately searching for the missing piece of his soul that he would never find. **Never**. 

Several minutes later, the boy fell to his knees, threw back his head and screamed, "Karone!!!!!!!" Andros screamed with him.

* * *

Zhane nearly fell off the bed in shock as Andros bolted up from his fetal position, screaming Karone's name for all he was worth. The only thing that saved the Silver Ranger from this ignominious fate was that Andros had grabbed onto his arms as he shot upright, as a drowning man would cling to a piece of driftwood. Zhane tried to catch his lover's wildly flitting eyes but to no avail. Those warm brown eyes were wild, unseeing, still caught in the nightmare grip of unreality. He forced his voice to stay calm, soothing and steady as he spoke, "Andros... Easy, love. It's all right. It was a dream. Easy..."

Andros' grip on his arms slowly loosened, and Zhane all but winced as the blood rushed back into them. He'd have a nice set of bruises there, for sure... As Andros' hands finally fell completely from their death grip, his eyes regained their sanity. It has been said by many a scholar that the eyes are the window to the human soul. If Andros' eyes were any indication, then his soul was breaking.

Andros whimpered slightly, as if he hadn't the strength to rein in his grief. It was rare that he was so vulnerable. Zhane slowly pulled the younger boy into his arms, rubbing soothing circles around his bare back. Andros was stiff in his embrace for a few moments, but slowly began to collapse against him, weary and heartsick. Zhane just kept up his soothing backrub and his calming words, trying to ease the pain induced by his lover's nightmares. It didn't really work. Though he didn't break down, neither did he really relax. He just held himself loosely tense in the circle of Zhane's arms.

After a few more moments he pulled away, eyes red and bloodshot from the effort of holding back the tears. Zhane lifted a hand to smooth Andros' hair from his face, keeping his voice as non-threatening as it had been before, "Better?"

Andros looked up at him, finally gaining the control over himself that he'd been seeking, "It's never better, Zhane. I'm always too late..." His voice trailed off.

Zhane shook his head sadly, "You can't still blame yourself-- "

Andros cut him off sharply, "Who else is there to blame? I was responsible for her. She was kidnapped because of me. It's my job to find her. Wherever she is."

"Andros..." Zhane reached out a hand to his lover, trying to find some way to connect with him, even knowing that he was bound to fail. This was one grief, one fear, one obsession, that he just couldn't touch. No matter how much Andros loved him, he wasn't Karone, and he couldn't take her place. In a way... it hurt. Not because Andros loved someone more than he, but because he wouldn't allow Zhane to share in the grief. It was one part of his life that he cut his lover out of completely.

As if to emphasize the point, Andros slowly pulled himself out of bed and got dressed, pulling his hair back into a tight, functional ponytail. He shook himself thoroughly, then bent to tie his boots. When Zhane moved to speak again, he shook his head, "No, Zhane. Go back to sleep. I... I'll be on the bridge."

Zhane frowned, "Searching."

Andros nodded, quietly, "Searching. Good night, Zhane." He spun on his heel and all but marched out of the room.

Zhane lay back on the bed, trying to settle back in to get to sleep. After several minutes of tossing and turning he cursed, giving it up as a futile attempt. There was no way he'd get back to sleep tonight. He glanced over at the chronometer -- 3 AM. Damn... Why couldn't Andros do this closer to a normal wake-up hour? Grumbling softly to himself, Zhane got up and headed for the shower. If he was going to be awake, he could at least put the time to good use. The Silver Cycle could use some work...

* * *

Cassie stretched sleepily as she made her way down to the repair bays. Her Galaxy Glider had taken a hit during the last battle and she'd promised herself that she'd repair it before breakfast. Lord only knew when she'd need it again, so it wasn't safe to leave it damaged as it was. She waved her hand over the entry panel and growled good-naturedly as DECA chirped a good morning at her. She didn't care if the damned thing was a computer, no one had a right to be that cheerful in the morning.

She ignored the computer's further efforts to draw her into conversation and moved over to the Glider bays, easily picking out the bright pink of her Galaxy Glider. Before she could begin her repairs, however, she noticed something extremely out of the ordinary. Sprawled out next to the Silver Cycle, fast asleep, was Zhane. Once over the momentary fear that the older Ranger was injured in some way, Cassie's curiosity rose to the fore and one eyebrow rose up into her hairline. This was... beyond interesting.

She knelt down next to the Silver Ranger and gently shook his shoulder, "Zhane... Zhane... wake up!"

He came awake all at once, eyes wild and confused. They only grew more confused as they landed on her. She moved to explain, but he shook his head, taking in their location with a quick glance. He then slumped back against the Silver Cycle as understanding seeped into his eyes. He sighed.

Cassie felt her eyebrow climb once again as she queried, "Trouble in paradise?"

Zhane let out a short laugh and shook his head, "No. No trouble," he paused, then amended, "At least, not any more than usual."

She settled herself down next to him and patted his knee, "So why are you sleeping with the Silver Cycle? You gotta admit that that's not exactly SOP, no matter how dedicated a Ranger you are..."

Her words only provoked a small grin this time, "You're right, but it's a private matter, Cassie. It's not really my story to tell." Seeing the determined look in Cassie's eyes and realizing that he was not up to matching wits with the Pink Ranger on so little sleep, he capitulated, "OK, OK, you win. Andros had a nightmare and woke me up. Once he decided that _he_ wasn't going back to sleep, _I_ couldn't sleep either, so I so I thought I should put the time to productive use and do some work on the Cycle." He gave her a sheepish grin, "I guess my body was smarter than my brain for once, though, and decided that it needed sleep regardless of my intentions."

Cassie frowned, picking out the one part of that story that he had hoped to gloss over, "Andros has nightmares?"

Sighing, the Silver Ranger nodded, "And that's the part that's private, Cassie. And Andros wouldn't thank me for spreading that tidbit around the ship, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't, either." He picked up his tools, ran one last diagnostic on the Cycle and walked over to his locker to put his them away. "I'm going to go head up to the bridge and check on him. Good luck with your repairs, Cassie." When he was halfway out the door, he paused and turned, a wide smile spread across his features, "Oh. I almost forgot... Good morning!"

Cassie grumbled as he left the room. She'd forgotten how chipper Zhane normally was in the morning. _Darn it. Why am I forever surrounded by morning people?_

* * *

Zhane walked onto the bridge, feeling very much like an intruder. The lights were dimmed and everything was so damned _silent_. It was as if he'd walked onto the bridge of a ghost ship. The only light came from the small monitors that were currently running through basic surveys on the nearby solar systems and DECA's sole operating eye. That glowing red eye slowly turned to face him and he could almost sense the computer's relief. It was eerie, how human the ship's AI could seem at times. As a child he hadn't questioned it, he had simply found it comforting. He still did -- in many ways, DECA had taken the place of the mother he had never known. But still, as he'd gotten older, he realized that sometimes DECA was just too human for her own good.

He let his eyes wander the room, trusting his instincts to guide him to his partner. Andros was sitting stiffly in the center seat, eyes occasionally flickering around to each of the computer screens. A flicker of gold caught Zhane's eyes and he allowed them to drift towards Andros' hand. Oh. The locket. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Andros still hadn't noticed him standing there...

Almost as if the thought had prompted a response, Andros turned his chair just enough to include Zhane in his peripheral vision, "Are you going to hang around in the doorway all day or did you need something, Zhane?"

The very tone of that voice screamed: "Stay Away!", but Zhane was never one to listen to warnings like that, especially when Andros had already been up here moping for several hours. He plastered his widest grin on his face and sauntered over to Andros' chair. That smile had been his saving grace more than once, especially where Andros was concerned. The only trouble was that, these days, the smile was fake so often that Zhane, himself, almost couldn't tell when it was real... He shook off those thoughts as he reached his partner and widened the grin, causing his cheeks to dimple. Andros just frowned at him, unimpressed.

Inwardly, Zhane sighed, _Going to be difficult, are we? Well... two can play at that game._ Keeping the grin fixed to his face, Zhane tossed a glance at DECA's visible eye, "Hey, DECA, would you turn up the lights? It's a bit too dismal in here, wouldn't you agree?" When she complied -- rather quickly -- Zhane almost laughed. Instead, he said wryly, "Thanks."

Andros was not impressed. Irritated at having his sulk-fest interrupted, he all but growled at Zhane, "I'm in the middle of something."

Again, Zhane forced the hurt away. It wasn't Andros' fault. It really wasn't... In the privacy of his own mind, Zhane suddenly had to wonder why he made up so many excuses for his lover. It wasn't fair... but it was the way it was. So rather than fussing about it, Zhane simply nodded, "I know, Andros, but you've been in the middle of it for..." he glanced over at the bridge chronometer, "...five hours, now. Surely you must be hungry after all that time?"

Andros shook his head, still as closed off as a bank vault, "No, I'm not. Why don't you go do something useful and stop wasting my time?"

In spite of his having expected Andros to say something to that effect, the words still stung. For just a moment, Zhane entertained the notion of snapping back in kind. After the abuse he'd taken last night and this morning, he was almost ready to admit that Andros deserved to be given an equally hard time to that which he was doling out. But, as usual, Zhane's compassion won out over his irritation with the treatment he was receiving, so he buried the pain, checked to ensure that his smile was still in place and draped his arms around Andros' shoulders from behind, "I already did my useful deed for the day. I fixed the Silver Cycle. Now I want breakfast and I want company with my breakfast." He leaned down and kissed Andros' cheek, "So what do you say?"

He could feel Andros' shoulders sag beneath his arms and, already having counted the battle half-won, was thus totally unprepared when he was shaken off. In fact, Andros stood up so abruptly that Zhane ended up overbalancing and falling to the deck with a yelp. The Red Ranger spun to face him, hand still clenched around his locket, eyes angry, "Which part of the word 'No' didn't you understand, Zhane? I'm busy here and I don't have time for your silly games."

Zhane stared up at his partner, shock sprawled across his face. The smile fell and despite all his attempts, he couldn't revive it. He tried to speak but nothing emerged from his normally articulate lips. Finally, unable to come up with any way to respond that didn't involve screaming or bursting into tears, he stood, quivering lightly. He raised his eyes to meet Andros', still trying to come up with some glib reply... and couldn't do it. He just couldn't. He took a step back.

Part of him wanted Andros to come after him, to realize what he'd done, take him in his arms and make it better. But Andros was as dense as they come when feelings were concerned. Seeing that Zhane was no longer pressing for his attention, he sat back down in his seat to resume his work, considering the matter closed. Zhane took another step back, and another, and another, until his back was pressed against the wall of the corridor.

Why did it feel like the world was spinning out of control? He pressed his back against the wall, one hand pressed to his chest as he tried to control his rapid breathing. He hadn't misjudged Andros' emotional climate this badly in years, since the beginning. Why now? Had Andros changed that much? For the first time since awakening from his cryogenic sleep, Zhane found himself feeling a sliver of doubt... and it felt like a shard of ice in his heart.

Hearing footsteps in the corridor, he did his best to get his breathing back under control and forced the grin back onto his face. _Nothing happened, nothing happened... Just keep thinking that and you'll be OK... Everything's fine. Nothing happened. Just keep smiling..._ By the time TJ and Ashley rounded the corner and saw him, he was able to give them a jaunty wave and a somewhat more sincere smile, "Morning!"

Ashley grinned in response and offered him a peck on the cheek. Now that she'd finally gotten over her dashed hopes regarding Andros, Zhane was happy to say that she was turning into a true friend. It was good to have someone else he could go to... especially now when, more often than not, Andros was shutting him out. It was good to be with someone who would actually talk to him. TJ, on the other hand, was still greatly an enigma to him. He was like Andros in a lot of ways: very alpha-wolf, very strong. The only difference was that TJ, at least, could still express an honest emotion. He might not do so often, but did do so. Once Ashley stepped back, he grimaced good-naturedly at Zhane -- like Cassie, he wasn't much of a morning person. In spite of the vice squeezing his heart, Zhane found what it took to give the two Rangers a real smile. It warmed him to see the pair together -- they were working their way towards being a good, solid couple. And TJ was smart. He not only realized that he had to handle Ashley's feelings with care, but he also knew that the best relationships were based on strong underlying friendships and was building a sturdy foundation underneath the tender love and affection that he lavished on her without reservation.

All that aside though, what was the point of being a friend if you couldn't tease a little? Feeling the joker's mask finally settle comfortably back into place, Zhane winked at TJ, "So, how are you two lovebirds doing on this fine morning?"

Ashley blushed and TJ sighed, used to Zhane's heavy-handed jokes by now, "We're doing just fine, Zhane." Knowing that there would be no way to stop the teasing once Zhane got on a roll, he quickly glanced around to find way to shift the attention off the pair of them. After a moment, he smirked, "Speaking of lovebirds -- where's _your_ other half?"

Unprepared for the pain induced by that simple question, Zhane felt the joker's mask slip. _Damn it, you'd better get used to it. They've only just accepted your relationship with Andros -- they're entitled to tease now that they're comfortable with it!_ Shoving the hurt down, again, he recovered some semblance of his normal smile and waved a hand in the direction of the bridge, "Working, as usual. Where else would he be? Actually with me?" Damn it, he hadn't meant to say that last. Seeing Ashley's eyes narrow in concern over the uncharacteristic bitterness lacing his voice, he offered them a bright smile and turned to leave, "Well, I'm off to grab breakfast. See you later!" He could practically feel Ashley's confused stare boring holes into his back as he left, but he continued walking. _I need to get away from everyone before I lose it completely..._ He then hurried his steps, quickly getting out of sight around the corner.

* * *

Ashley frowned as she stared after Zhane, remembering a similar moment weeks ago when she'd been convinced that his smile was just a facade. She'd begun to think that she'd only imagined it, but just now... For a moment, she'd seen the mask crack again and she was suddenly certain that Zhane was desperately unhappy. Something was very wrong here. She turned to TJ, wondering what her former leader thought of the situation.

TJ, oblivious to the undercurrents in the corridor, merely smiled as she caught his eyes, "Always the joker, isn't he? While I appreciate the effect on morale, I also can't wait until the novelty of having another couple on board wears off and he backs down."

Well, clearly he hadn't noticed. She frowned, "TJ... All joking aside, didn't something seem a little... off... about how he was acting? Just for a minute, there, when you asked about Andros. Did you notice?"

The young man shook his head, confusion wrinkling his brow, "Can't say I did. He seemed just as chipper as always. Why?"

Ashley turned her head towards the corridor Zhane had used to flee from them -- for there was no denying that was what he'd done, "I don't know... Maybe I should go talk to him." She leaned up on her toes and gave TJ a quick kiss on the cheek, "I'll catch up with you at the Simudeck later, OK?"

TJ smiled and pulled her close for a moment, reveling in the fact that he was allowed to do so, "I'll hold a picnic bench for us."

Ashley gave him a bright grin in response, then took off after Zhane. _He mentioned that he was going to get breakfast... I guess I should check there first on the off chance that he wasn't lying just to throw us off the trail._

As she headed down to the cafeteria, she pondered the situation. Andros and Zhane had seemed so happy together the past few weeks, especially once all the Rangers had accepted their relationship. And surprisingly, seeing the two of them happy had made Ashley happy. It wasn't something she'd expected -- far from it. But now that she'd stopped fighting the reality of his presence, she'd found a kindred spirit in Zhane. The more time they spent together, the more she understood how Andros could have fallen for them both. In many ways, they were almost scarily alike. She smiled as a thought occurred to her, _I also have Zhane to thank for his foresight about TJ. Who would have ever thought? Certainly not me. All this time, I thought he'd had his eye on Cassie._

Returning her thoughts to their earlier track, she tried to figure out what she'd seen that morning and if it had really been anything at all. She distinctly remembered seeing Zhane's face pale slightly at the mention of Andros, and then his smile had wavered, if only for a split second. His answer to TJ's question had also been... strange. There had been a hard edge to the response that was completely unlike him. She paused outside the doors to the Rec lounge, heart suddenly pounding. Could something have gone wrong between them? _Lord, I hope not... Not after all they've already been through..._

Crossing her fingers at her side, she stepped through the open doors to the cafeteria. Zhane was sitting at the table, food untouched in front of him, head buried in his arms on the table. His shoulders were shaking slightly. Ashley cursed to herself. She'd been right. She took a step forward, deliberately making noise as she entered the room. Zhane jerked his head up off his arms, wiping his eyes furiously before he turned to face her. He tried to dredge up one of his disarming smiles but the tear stains on his face and his bloodshot eyes ruined the effect.

Sitting down across from him, Ashley sighed. Zhane wasn't going to let her in on this one -- not easily, anyway -- because it was concerning Andros. He'd had "loyalty to the pack" drilled into his head since he was five... and like it or not, in moments of stress, Andros was still his only pack. He would do whatever it took to conceal a potential weakness, even from a friend... even if it would kill him to do it. Preparing herself for a fight, Ashley fed him the opening line, "I don't suppose you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Zhane sat back in his chair, grin once again firmly in place and arms crossed over his chest, "Why do you think there's something wrong?"

 _Here we go..._ Ashley snorted, a disbelieving look on her face, "Because you were crying. You can't really believe I'm _that_ dense, can you?"

Zhane shook his head slightly, grin fading, as he realized he'd been caught out. He ducked his eyes, "No... But I was hoping that you would take the not-so-subtle hint that I don't really want to talk about it."

Ashley reached across the table, taking one of his hands into her own, "Come on, Zhane. We're a team, remember? All of us together. You don't buy into Andros' 'I'm perfectly fine on my own' policy, either. You need people as much as the rest of us do. You don't _have_ to be fine all the time, Zhane. I want to help. What are friends for?"

Zhane shuddered slightly as he drew in a breath, still fighting the inevitability in her words, "I know, Ashley, but..." He stopped and hung his head, "No. That's no excuse. Ashley... it just isn't that simple. Not for me, not about this. It involves betraying a confidence and that's something that I just won't do."

She got up from her side of the table and moved around to sit next to him, "But Zhane... what good does it do you to keep that confidence if you destroy yourself in the process? Would Andros really ask that of you?" Eyes widening in sudden understanding, she asked, "Does he even realize he _has_ asked that of you?"

Zhane shook his head, ruefully, "Sometimes, Ashley, you see too much." He sighed, "And you're right, on all counts. I'm _not_ fine, and no... Andros doesn't see it." He shook his head, then reaching a decision, said contemplatively, "It's funny... as often as this happens, it shouldn't even bother me, anymore. I should expect it by now. He's **always** like that where Karone is concerned: Cold, unreachable. Even to me. It's just... this time, it's worse."

Ashley frowned, certain she was missing something very important. She didn't want to press for details, especially with what he'd said earlier about betraying confidences, but she need to understand if she was going to help, "Who's Karone?"

Sighing heavily, as though he knew he was defeated, Zhane answered her, "She's Andros' twin sister. She was kidnapped when they were three. He's been searching for her ever since. He considers it almost a sacred responsibility and he won't let anyone else interfere. It's as though he thinks that asking for help will mean he's failed. And when he gets that focused on the search... nothing else matters. He'll say anything, _do_ anything, to get rid of interruptions."

Ashley nodded in understanding, hiding her shock at learning about Karone as best she was able, "And you interrupted him... and he said something that hurt you."

Zhane shrugged, eyes miserable, "He's gotten worse. I didn't see it at first, but it's damned obvious, now. He was always single-minded about this search, but now he's grabbed onto his grief so tightly it's become an obsession. That isn't healthy. _I_ see that, but he doesn't... and he won't." He paused, eyes hardening with his next words, "And the worst part is, I know why it happened and it's my fault." At Ashley's disbelieving look, he hastened to explain, "I was the only thing keeping him from becoming that obsessive before. When he lost me, he lost the only protection he had against being engulfed by this thing. Now that I'm back... it's a different dynamic. On some level, I've already lost him to it. I just didn't realize how far he'd fallen until now." Letting out a bitter laugh, he said, "The true irony of the situation is that I know he doesn't mean to hurt me, and if I could get him to realize that he's doing it, he'd probably try to stop. But if I say something... G-d, Ashley, I _can't_ say anything because _I_ don't want to hurt _him_. He's been through enough already."

Ashley couldn't think of a single thing to say in response to that bitter pain. Couldn't Zhane see that Andros wasn't the only one drowning in this thing? Meeting his eyes, she finally understood -- yes, he _did_ see. That was why he was fighting tooth and nail to drag Andros back from the undertow. Because, at this point, if he couldn't, it would sweep them both away. Before Ashley could respond, they heard footsteps outside the cafeteria. Silently, she cursed, sensing that her moment to do some good here was about to be lost. Moments later, TJ and Andros came into view. TJ smiled brightly at the two of them, completely unaware that he'd shattered something fragile and important, "I see you found him."

Andros also offered them a small smile, silently wondering what he'd do without the two people sitting at that table. He leaned over to give Zhane's shoulder a squeeze, "Well, here I am. What were you saying about breakfast?"

Zhane stared at him a moment, mouth gaping and eyes almost comically wide. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Andros leaned closer, eyes concerned, "What's wrong?"

After a few minutes of trying, Zhane finally got his voice to work. Sadly, he couldn't force anything significant past his lips, "You... You..." Ashley could see the problem. For the first time in... G-d, maybe forever, Zhane had opened up to someone to reveal how much of a lie the smile was. He couldn't just jump back behind the jester's mask that quickly now that he had. But above and beyond anything else, he desperately didn't want Andros to know how much pain the mask was hiding. And so, he was stuck. Saying nothing would raise a red flag, but what he wanted to say... what he _needed_ to say, would cross a line that he wasn't ready to even step up to, yet.

Andros, completely oblivious to anything other than the fact that his partner wasn't acting his usual chipper self, sat down next to him and took hold of his shoulders lightly, "What is it, Zhane?"

Finally, Zhane shook off his paralysis. It had been a foregone conclusion which way this would go... Now that Zhane had finally owned up to the fact that he was hurting, he wasn't going to be able to tuck it away and pretend it didn't exist. He was too honest a person for that. But the coming explosion was going to gouge more than a few holes in their team, and Ashley just hoped they were up to dealing with the aftermath.

Zhane stood up, knocking his chair over with a loud clang, "You don't even... How could you...? **Damn** it, Andros!" His fists clenched at his sides, his arms quivering from tension, "How in the world do you not notice? You can't do what you did to me this morning, then spin a 180 and decide to act concerned about it once it's convenient!" He felt his voice rising in volume but didn't care. The stress he'd been under since awakening from his cryo-sleep, with the added topper of this morning's incident, had finally pushed him to the breaking point.

Andros had a trapped look in his eyes. He hadn't seen this coming, of course he hadn't. Desperate to find some sort of stable ground on which to stand, he reached out a hand in entreaty, "I... I don't understand... Zhane... What I did this morning? I remember you coming up to the bridge. I was busy... You know with what. I thought you found something else to do..." His voice trailed off, then emerged again, hesitant and confused, "Didn't you come down for breakfast?"

Zhane's hands clenched tighter, his fingers now white-knuckled with strain. It was at this point that the remaining two Rangers ambled their way into the cafeteria. Seeing the tableau, they froze. Zhane stared at Andros another moment, not even noticing that they had an audience. His voice was a harsh whisper when it emerged, "Do I mean so little to you?" Before Andros could speak, he continued, "Do I mean so little to you that you can push me away, time after time after time, and expect me to be all right with it? What **am** I to you? A human punching bag? After having to live all this time without me, I would have thought that _that_ , at least had changed! Instead, it seems to have gotten worse." The tears had broken loose a second time and were now streaming freely down his cheeks.

Andros stared at the tears in horror, "I... I didn't know... I thought... By the gods, Zhane..."

Zhane laughed bitterly, "You thought? No. That's the problem, Andros. You **didn't** think. You took me for granted. _Like you always do._ " When Andros moved to protest, Zhane shook his head, "Don't argue, Andros. It's fact. You take me for granted. And normally... normally I don't mind. But, I can't take it anymore, Andros. I know I'm not Karone. I know I can't replace her." He ignored the tightening around Andros' eyes. He knew he was in risky territory here, but... damn it. It was too late to back out of this conversation already. He pressed on, "I don't want to replace her, Andros. I _want_ to help you find her. Because anything that makes you unhappy makes _me_ unhappy."

Seeing Andros sitting silent and shocked pushed Zhane into a fit of desperation, "I have been trying to save you from this thing for years, Andros, this tendency of yours to become so wrapped up in an obsession that it chokes you. You're no good to _anyone_ like this, especially Karone. But you've shut me out completely on this one. You won't even talk to me about it, anymore. You're going to drown us _both_ in this thing if you don't start letting me back in to help."

"Andros... I _want_ to help. She matters to you and you're not whole without her. But when you close me out... Andros, I can't just care about you when you're not thinking about Karone. I can't just turn my love off when it's inconvenient for you. It doesn't work that way. I either love you all the time..." He paused, then finished, "...or not at all." That was when he stopped speaking, as if horrified by what he'd implied. One hand flew to cover his mouth, the other pressing against his stomach as if he was going to be sick. It was then that he noticed Carlos and Cassie. His eyes flew from Ranger to Ranger, growing more panicked with each one they landed on. When they landed on Andros' equally horrified face, he bolted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
> Zhane: *horrified look* After 10 years of waiting... _this_ is where you choose to end Chapter 1? That's just... by all the gods, that's just wrong.
> 
> R-chan: *shrugs* You think this is bad? Wait until you see where I ended Chapter 2. *eg*
> 
> Zhane: O_O
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: [Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)
> 
> ^_^ Questions, comments, coconuts?
> 
>  _Coming Soon:_ Our heroes ask the question, "Can things possibly get any worse?" And, of course... the answer is a resounding, "Yes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 12, 2010:_** So... I broke the boys pretty badly last chapter. I'd apologize... but really, you should be expecting it by now. So, get ready for further breakage and the return of a few old friends. ^_~

Andros stared after Zhane, feeling like he'd just been slapped in the face. _How could I have hurt him? How could I not have realized it...?_ The more practical part of his brain was trying to tell him that he should get up and run after Zhane **right now** , but he was in no position to listen. He was absolutely frozen to his chair by the guilt of what he'd done and the horror of what he'd heard. He couldn't move.

Amazingly enough, it was Ashley who broke the silence. She jumped to her feet and shook his arm, "Don't just sit there, Andros! Go after him!"

He stared at her, uncomprehending. Frustrated, she shifted her grip on his arm and bodily hauled him off the chair, "If you _don't_ go after him, I'm gonna have to do something drastic. You already hurt his feelings once, Andros. _Please_ don't do it again..."

The Yellow Ranger's words finally registered -- he couldn't hurt Zhane again. He shook himself out of his paralysis and ran off down the corridor, "DECA! Where did Zhane go?"

The computer was silent for a moment before speaking, "He's in the Healing Chamber, Andros." If she were human, she'd surely be wringing her hands by now. As it was, she had to settle for sounding worried.

Andros cursed and changed course, heading for the chamber which had held his lover's comatose body for two years. When he reached the Healing Chamber, the door was locked. He tried punching in the override, but it didn't work. "DECA! Can you unlock this door?"

She sounded frustrated, "I will try..." It was several agonizing minutes before the door opened. It looked exactly as it had before. A light blue glow covered everything and the lights were dimmed. The only difference was the absence of a body in the cryo-tube. But Andros didn't see Zhane. Anywhere.

Hesitantly, he walked further into the room, "Zhane? Are you in here?" There was no answer. Nor had he really expected one. He began to speak as he searched, hoping that if Zhane wouldn't listen, at least he would hear. "I never meant to hurt you, Zhane... You have to believe that. You _have_ to." His voice choked slightly before he could continue, "I love you too much to hurt you... I just... Karone was all I had. And she was **my** responsibility. Whenever you tried to help it always felt like you were trying to intrude, to say I wasn't good enough... even though I knew you'd never think that or even imply it. It's just hard to let go..."

Having finally completed his circuit of the room, Andros realized what he should have sensed ten minutes ago, but hadn't in his panic. Zhane wasn't in the room. He stared at DECA's solitary eye, mouth gaping, "You **lied** to me!"

DECA's voice was regretful as she spoke, "He made me promise... I'm sorry."

At this point, Andros was nearly frantic with worry, "Made you promise **what**? Where did he go, DECA??"

Before she could answer, Cassie's frantic voice sounded over the ship-wide comm system, "Guys! The Silver Cycle is gone!"

"Damn it!!" Andros raced out of the Healing Chamber and headed straight for the Jump Tubes. The rest of the Rangers met him there. He looked around at all of them, heart pounding in his chest, "OK, you guys stay up here and search for him via the computer. I'll head down to Earth and look for him. That's the only logical place he could have gone..." They nodded quietly and left to go to the bridge.

Ashley was the last one to leave. She paused in the doorway, then came back to grip his shoulder and offer up a small smile, "Good luck, Andros..."

He nodded once and leapt up to his Jump Tube, sliding down it in one well-practiced maneuver. He'd find Zhane... He **had** to. He just hoped he'd figure out what to say by the time he did.

* * *

Zhane parked the Silver Cycle and got off, demorphing as he did so. It was bad enough that he hadn't brought a change of clothes, he'd be conspicuous enough on Earth in his flight suit. He wheeled the cycle over to some screening bushes and hid it carefully, deactivating the comm system as he hid it. He moved to unstrap his digimorpher, but decided against it -- that was a piece of training that was practically hard-wired into his system at this point. You never knew when Astronema might send some Quantrons after you...

Cycle safely hidden, Zhane walked off down one of the paths of the park, finding a nice clearing and settling down against an old oak tree. He needed to think. **Really** think. Why had he been so quick to attack Andros earlier? Now that the moment had passed, he almost couldn't remember why he'd been so upset. It wasn't as if this sort of thing hadn't happened before... It had just never bothered him as much as it had today.

He leaned back against the tree trunk, staring up at the light blue sky filtering through the treetops overhead. _I guess everyone has their breaking point. I should have realized that I was reaching mine._ He banged his head lightly back against the tree, cursing himself for being an idiot. He'd been **happy** and he'd gone and wrecked it all with one fell swoop. _Why did this break over us so quickly though...?_ Pausing a moment in thought, Zhane was forced to admit, _We were approaching this point even before I was injured... It was just easier to forget about it once I was awake. And, damn it, Andros... You were probably just so grateful that I was letting the matter drop that you didn't want to bring it up again._

He sighed heavily, drawing his knees up to his chest, _Where did we go wrong?_ Yet, in his heart, Zhane knew where they'd gone wrong and it had happened **long** before he was put in a cryogenic sleep tube. Long before they'd even really met, much less become lovers. Zhane couldn't take Karone's place in his lover's broken heart. And he hated to admit it, but sometimes he was jealous. Sometimes, he almost wished that Karone would never be found. Because if Andros paid this much attention to her -- gave her this much time -- when he **didn't** know where she was... how much of his time would be devoted to her once they were reunited?

He hated himself for thinking it, but it was a real fear. What if he helped Andros find Karone and lost him in the process? Even Zhane didn't like to think about how much the prospect terrified him. _I don't think Andros would ever desert me, but still... part of me has to wonder._ For the next half hour Zhane just sat there letting his mind drift and being grateful for the lack of interruptions. For while part of him wanted nothing more than to have Andros rush over, hold him in his arms and tell him it would be all right... the rest of him just wanted some time away from everyone else. He snorted quietly. That must be a first. He actually wanted to be alone. _Andros must be rubbing off on me..._

A sudden yell from outside the clearing brought Zhane abruptly back to himself. It sounded like... fighting? He jumped to his feet, arms held up in a defensive posture. Of all the things he **didn't** need... He crept slowly around the tree, then very nearly hit himself for his own stupidity. He should have remembered how many people in Angel Grove were into martial arts... It was just someone practicing. He leaned back against the tree to watch the woman run through her kata. She was quite good, but he didn't recognize her style. It seemed to be a blend of several techniques: karate, kung fu -- was that some kickboxing? -- and... no, he must be imagining things. There was no way that an Earth woman could have picked up Altiyaran martial arts techniques and he couldn't have possibly seen Prince Trey's trademark spin kicks -- could he? He pushed the thoughts aside, taking in her appearance instead.

The woman was older than he, but beyond that, he couldn't tell her age. Her long raven-black hair was twisted into a ponytail at the nape of her neck and held in place by a black velvet hair tie. Her workout clothes consisted of a simple gi: black on the bottom and a light mint green on the top. Her feet were bare and he could just see that the purple paint on her toenails matched that on her fingernails. He shook his head. That was something he'd **never** understood. Ashley and Cassie liked to paint their nails different colors as well.

He forced his mind back to his observations. The woman was petite, but covered in compact muscle. If she weren't using them at the moment, he likely wouldn't even have noticed her strong musculature. And the grace with which she moved... Power held so lightly in check... It reminded him of a panther. Silent, deadly grace.

The one time she happened to turn his way, her warm brown eyes had skipped lightly over him and he had to wonder if she'd even noticed that he was there. He continued to watch as she slowed the kata down, finally coming to rest in what he presumed to be the same position she'd started in, kneeling lightly on the ground, hands clasped in front of her. He gathered himself to walk away.

Her husky voice interrupted him before he got too far, "I can't say I'm used to having an audience while I practice, but some company afterwards would be nice. Do you have a name, young man?"

Zhane blushed as he walked back over to where she had settled herself, legs pulled up into a lotus position. Her eyes were closed, but he sat down in front of her nonetheless. He smiled, "My name is Zhane. Might I ask yours, as well?"

When his voice hit the fourth word, her eyes flew open in startlement, her mouth dropping open. It was only then that he realized how very familiar her eyes looked. He couldn't put a finger on why, but he knew those eyes. How very odd... He only managed to finish his introduction out of sheer force of habit. Truthfully, her too-familiar eyes held him transfixed.

She chose not to answer his question, instead asking one of her own, "Zhane? Your name is Zhane?"

When he nodded, she looked him over, quickly but thoroughly. Finally she nodded, a sheepish grin on her face. He raised an eyebrow, "Did you find it?"

She narrowed her eyes at the apparent non-sequitur, "Find what?"

He grinned, "Whatever it is that you were just looking for." He looked quickly down at himself, "Did you find it?"

She laughed, as if his response had answered some question she hadn't asked, "I did indeed, Zhane... I did indeed." She paused, head cocked, then smiled again, "So why were you lurking about watching me practice?"

"I was in the area and I heard you. I thought it was a fight and so rushed over to help. When I saw you were just practicing, I stuck around to watch. I must admit, I was impressed. You've got some awesome moves," he answered.

She laughed, "And I suppose that you are one who would know."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why would I know?"

She grinned impishly at him, "If you were planning to help me fight -- whatever it was you thought I was fighting -- you must know something of the fighting arts yourself. True?"

He blushed lightly, ashamed of his own paranoia, "Good point..." He dimly noticed that she had said, 'whatever' and not 'whoever' and vaguely wondered why she'd made that distinction. Almost no one but the Rangers would have. Then again, this was Angel Grove. He became aware that she was speaking again.

"...if you don't mind my saying so, you seem a bit under the weather. Are you feeling all right?" she finished.

Under the weather... It was a good enough description of how he felt. Like a stormy day. He let himself meet her eyes, those hauntingly familiar eyes, and shook his head, "No... No, I'm not all right." Her eyes widened in concern and he could feel the desire to help just about rolling off her. A true martial artist. He swallowed hard, weighing the benefits of telling her and decided to go through with it. He needed to talk to someone and as he'd likely never see this woman again, she was safe enough. He took a deep breath, "I had a fight with my lover..."

Over the course of the next half hour, she slowly coaxed the story out of him, nodding and sympathizing at the appropriate places. It was harder to tell without mentioning names -- or the gender of his lover -- but he managed it. And amazingly enough, he felt better once he'd told her. And even more surprising was her eventual reaction. She pulled him close to her in a comforting hug. And... it felt so **right**. As right as whenever Andros held him-- no. Even more so. And it felt familiar, as if he'd been held like this before, in some time he couldn't remember. She whispered lightly into his ear, "I wouldn't fret too much if I were you, Zhane. Andros has good blood running through his veins and an honest and caring heart, just like his parents. I'm sure of it. He won't disappoint you."

She pulled back and kissed him lightly on the forehead before standing. She then bowed once and melted out of the clearing. And it was only then that it registered to the Silver Ranger exactly what she'd said. She'd called Andros by gender... and by name. _How did she know??_ He jumped to his feet, eager to follow her, when he heard it. That voice. Andros... He turned back to find his lover standing on the other side of the small clearing, heart in his eyes and trembling with fear. And he couldn't resist... like always. He went to him.

* * *

A raven-haired woman with mahogany eyes pulled a small key out of her green and black gi, fitting it gently into the lock on a door. She turned the key and pushed the door open. These things she did because they were normal. These things she did because she did them every day. Beyond that, the poor woman wasn't capable of much coherent thought. Her mind kept returning to the events that had occurred in the park.

She'd been practicing, also as she did every day. After a few minutes, she'd become aware of an audience. Always one to do her best to impress, she'd pushed herself in her workout. She had even done one of Trey's spin kicks, and until that very moment she'd been unsure if she could even still do one. She hadn't thought much of her watcher other than that until she'd stopped her kata and gotten a good look at him.

He'd seemed so familiar, she'd called out to stay his leaving before she'd even realized what she was doing. And when he'd turned back... The woman walked into the bathroom and splashed a double handful of cold water over her face. There'd been no mistaking that face. He could have been Randi's younger brother. But his eyes... She looked up into the mirror, her own gentle brown eyes catching her in their depths. His eyes were hers.

She shouldn't have been surprised when he told her his name. She'd already mostly suspected it. His looks, his eyes... his flight suit. She laughed lightly. How could she **not** have recognized him? And yet, he had still caught her off guard with his name. She shook her head lightly as she dried off her face. _You haven't thought about him in twenty years and now he suddenly shows up on your doorstep. It's just uncanny..._

She dropped the towel somewhere in the vicinity of the sink and turned on the shower. She slipped out of her workout gi and stepped under the pounding heat of the water. A good workout and a shower... it didn't get much better than that. But her thoughts kept interrupting the almost sensual pleasure of getting clean, so she made it a quick shower. She toweled off rapidly and slid into the clean clothes that she'd left in the corner for when she returned: a pair of black jeans and a light purple tee-shirt. She stretched as she headed back out to the living room and draped herself into her armchair, her thoughts returning once again to Zhane.

He possessed his father's quick and easy sense of humor and a joker's smile that likely never wavered. And yet it had been in the process of cracking. Seeing that, and knowing what she knew, she couldn't leave it alone. It hadn't taken much prompting to get him to talk, nor had it taken much for her to figure out who he was talking _about_. She could put two and two together as well as the next person.

When she'd heard the pain and unhappiness in his voice it had been too much. She'd felt such a need to comfort him -- to comfort this boy whose mother had been too selfish to stick around and care for him. She made a face. It was clear that Zhane deserved so much better than what his mother had been able to give him. But he'd had Randi... at least for a little while. And she had to content herself with that. What other choice did she have? In the end, she'd let slip to him that she knew. She almost wondered why she'd done it, but in reality, she knew damned well why. She was being selfish again... She wanted to give him every opportunity to want to seek her out. Now, after all these years, she wanted to be a part of his life.

She ran a hand through her long, raven locks and stretched her legs, delicately pointing her toes as she extended them. She knew she was being selfish, but at this point, she deserved to be. Didn't she?

The rattling of another key in the front door lock brought the woman back to her senses and she rose from the chair, weight balanced on the balls of her feet in case of trouble. She almost laughed at herself when she saw what "trouble" had walked in. The young man was taller than she and had her raven-black locks, though his were cropped far shorter. And like Zhane, this man's eyes mirrored her own. But where Zhane's figure took after Randi in slenderness, this man's figure was anything but. The muscles in his arms and chest were clearly defined, even through the red button-shirt. He practically exuded strength and leadership from every pore.

Just now he leaned down to give her a brief, gentle hug. His baritone voice was warm and rolling, perfectly at ease with the world and himself, "Hey, mom. Good workout?"

She smiled as she hugged him back, then released him, "Isn't it always? How were your friends? Settled back in yet?"

His warm brown eyes twinkled, "Man, talk about jet lag. I thought the trip home from Switzerland was bad..." He shook his head in amazement, "It's been 3 weeks and Zack _still_ hasn't completely recovered."

The woman smacked him lightly on the shoulder, "The boy had a hard year. You all did. And you've more than earned a vacation before the real work begins."

The young man nodded grimly at her, "I had noticed. It looks like the Zeo Rangers went into hiding with the Crystal and the Turbo Rangers are missing-- "

She cut him off, "Not missing, just off planet at the moment and using a different power source. They joined up with the Lightstar Rangers."

He looked startled, "Andros and Zhane? You've mentioned them, but I don't remember ever meeting them. They don't stop by Phaedos much, I gather..."

She shook her head, eyes serious, "No, they don't. They are Ninjetti as most fully-bonded Rangers are, but they have not been to Phaedos since they bonded with their Powers. Likely the new Space Rangers will need help against Dark Spectre. We'll just have to be ready to provide it when they do."

He nodded, "Billy and I planned to go over to the ruins of the Power Chamber now that we're both fully functional again. We're going to see what we can find there. Maybe they left some sort of a clue..."

"A good idea. I never much liked Darin, but still... The thought of leaving anyone in Dark Spectre's clutches leaves me cold," she shivered slightly.

He gave her another peck on the cheek and tapped lightly at his communicator to check that it had survived the trip. "Wish me luck, mom..."

She smiled and ruffled his hair, "As always..." She watched as he teleported away in a flash of Red energy and finished quietly, "Luck, Jason..."

* * *

Zhane paused exactly three steps in front of Andros. He wanted to go further, wanted to run into his lover's arms and never leave them, but now wasn't the time for that. He'd been letting Andros get off easily for too long. That's why they were in the quandary they were in, now. They really needed to work this out, no matter how much it might hurt. He inclined his head slightly, waiting for Andros to speak.

Andros looked confused. No doubt his own silence had thrown the other boy off. Andros wasn't used to having to be the one to talk first. He swallowed hard, eyes pleading with Zhane to let him off the hook. Zhane sighed, heart heavy. If Andros wasn't even willing to go this far for him... What hope did he really have? He turned to walk out of the clearing.

Andros finally gathered up the courage to speak, though his voice was choked with emotion when it emerged, "Zhane, wait! Please..."

Zhane paused, turning back slowly, warily. This was it. All through their relationship, Zhane had been the one to do the coaxing, the reassuring. He'd allowed Andros to coast through, content that Zhane did enough of the "touchy-feely" stuff for both of them. No more. It was time for Andros to do his fair share. If he couldn't... Zhane let that thought hang, not quite certain how to complete it. He raised an eyebrow, determined not to give Andros any more help or encouragement than he deserved.

The Red Ranger faltered again. He was very clearly out of his element. He had no idea how to react to this stranger wearing his lover's face. He held out a hand in entreaty -- touching Zhane had always seemed to reassure him before...

Zhane would have none of it. He took another step back. _It doesn't work that way, Andros... It's not that easy. If you really want me back, you have to convince me you mean it this time. I've had enough of being taken for granted._

Andros lowered his arm, his whole body showing his dejection. His voice was full of self-loathing when he finally coaxed the words out, "You must hate me..."

Zhane leaned back against a tree and folded his arms over his chest. He shrugged one shoulder, not even making an attempt to hide his emotions. His voice sounded raw and upset -- even Andros noticed and winced -- when he finally spoke, "Hate is such a strong word, Andros."

Andros sagged even further, "I was wrong... in how I treated you."

Zhane nodded once, resigned to the fact that he was going to be pulling teeth for the next hour. _I don't care. He's going to do this on his own, this time._

Slumping back against another tree, Andros hung his head, "I... I shouldn't have brushed you away like I did. I... I think I see that, now."

Zhane sighed, rubbing his head with his hands. _Damn... If I leave this completely up to him, it really **will** take him an hour to get to the right conclusion. Damn it, Andros! Why don't I have any willpower where you're concerned?_ The Silver Ranger spoke quietly so Andros had to strain to hear him, "But do you really understand? Andros... it wasn't just what you did this morning. That was only the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back."

Andros turned pleading eyes on his lover, "I'm trying to understand, Zhane... I really am. I never **wanted** to hurt you!"

It took every ounce of mental strength that Zhane had not to take Andros in his arms right then and tell him he understood. _Damn it, Andros. How do you do this to me? This isn't any good..._ He forced a slightly sarcastic look onto his features, "It's a good thing I know you as well as I do, Andros. If I didn't, I might not have believed that."

Andros actually flinched this time, his whole body jerking away from the force of Zhane's words. His eyes were hurt and confused, "What do you want from me, Zhane? I... I already promised that I'd love you forever." His voice caught as if he still wasn't comfortable with saying those words, "What else do you want from me? What other proof do you need from me?"

Zhane felt his body tense at his lover's words, "You really **don't** understand, do you, Andros?" His fists unconsciously clenched at his sides as his anger mounted. Before... before he'd been too hurt, too upset, too scared, to feel anything else, but now... Now that the pain had worn away, now that his frustration had had a chance to build, now he felt the anger. Once again, it seemed like he was pulling both of their weights in this relationship. Andros got all the benefits and he paid all the prices. And Andros didn't even understand that he was doing something wrong! A flash of pain warned him that his fingernails had pierced skin. He didn't care.

Andros' eyes widened in shock and he took a step back. Zhane advanced on him, normally warm eyes cold and narrowed in anger, "This doesn't work, Andros. It's not enough to say it. You have to show me you **mean** it!" He could see from Andros' eyes that the words weren't penetrating, weren't getting through. He decided to try another tactic. Andros always thought easiest in military strategies... "Say the King of Eltar came to you and said, 'Let's form an alliance between us. I'll fight beside you and support your cause.' You with me, so far?" Andros nodded, though confused by the apparent change in topic. Zhane continued, "Then say that you go off and start fighting Dark Spectre and generally doing all the dirty work. He's still willing to give you supplies and a place to rest, but when it comes to the actual fighting, he's nowhere to be found. Are you still with me?"

Andros nodded, growing more confused by the second, "What does this have to do with..."

Zhane cut him off with a growl, "Everything. Now, shut up and listen."

Andros shut up.

Zhane finished with, "Now, say that you protest that you're exhausted and need someone out on the front lines with you to help you fight and you don't see anyone from his side helping you. You're starting to get suspicious about his promises and you express your concerns. He turns around with, 'But I said I'd fight with you and support you. Isn't that enough? What more do you want?' What do you say to that?"

Andros snorted and frowned, "I'd say it's an unfair alliance and that I'd be better off finding another ally. This one clearly can't be trusted to uphold his end of the bargain."

Zhane leaned back away, the anger draining from him and leaving him nothing but emptiness, "So, so, and exactly so, Andros."

Andros' eyes went wide in shock as the meaning finally penetrated, "You're saying... you're saying that I'm acting like the King of Eltar. But... Zhane, you **know** I would never do that! I... When I said I loved you, damn it, I **meant** it!"

Zhane shook his head, "It's not enough, anymore, Andros. I've been listening to your words and your promises for years now. I've been willing to take on faith that you mean what you say. And since deep down inside, I know that you do, I've been willing to let you get off easy. I... I can't do it anymore, Andros. I'm on the front lines of this relationship all by myself and you keep promising me aid and then never coming through. I swore I'd never do this to you Andros... but I can't do this on my own anymore. I need the proof. I need you to show me that you really do mean what you say."

He paused, somewhat disbelieving that this had turned out the way it had. He hadn't really meant... The look in Andros' eyes was killing him. Betrayal, shock, fear, pain... _Oh gods, Andros... I don't want to hurt you... Please don't make me hurt you..._ He swallowed the rising tears and finished what he needed to say, "I spent six years winning you over, Andros. Six years convincing you that **I** meant what I was saying. Six years and beyond, proving it to you over and over again. This time it's your turn. Take some time and return the favor." He took in Andros' features one last time before turning and marching away.

Andros' mental howl of anguish filled the clearing behind him, leaving Zhane cold and shaking. He collapsed in a small thicket, arms wrapped tightly around his stomach, shuddering and trying not to give in to hysterical weeping. The pain of their partially sundered bond felt like a knife in his gut, twisting and tearing until his entire being was a tight ball of agony. He gulped in air desperately as he curled around the pain, _Oh gods... oh gods... was this what he felt when I...? Oh gods... What have I done? Andros, I'm sorry!_ Mercifully, he soon knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zhane: *stares* Really? You just... Really? *grumps* You are _not_ nice.
> 
> R-chan: ^_^ I know.
> 
> Andros: *fuming silently in the corner*
> 
> R-chan: *sweatdrop* It gets better. I promise.
> 
> Zhane: *disbelieving look*
> 
> R-chan: Honest! By chapter... oh... 8? Yeah, I think it's chapter 8 when things start getting better. *beaming smile*
> 
> Zhane: *expires*
> 
> Originally posted at my LJ: [Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)
> 
> Questions, comments, Granny Smith Apples?
> 
> _Coming Soon:_ Andros gets some good advice from an unlikely source and Zhane finds himself in even more dire need of assistance than his partner. Fortunately for both, forces are gathering to help... whether they want it or not.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 13, 2010:_** I warned you it was going to get worse before it got better. O_O At least we're providing a little help this chapter...? *sigh* Yeah, that wasn't reassuring to me, either. :-P

Andros winced as he felt something pecking at his hair. His head hurt. His heart hurt. His body hurt. _Everything_ hurt. He felt like a large bundle of raw, exposed nerves. He managed to lift one hand and brush irritably at whatever was trying to rouse him from the waking coma he'd fallen into. That only seemed to make it more determined. It pecked at his hair again, this time settling its body on his shoulder to get a better angle. A particularly hard peck finally jolted him into alertness. A deep voice sounded from inside his head, **_~It's about time! You can be impossible sometimes, fledgling.~_**

Andros was in no mood to listen as his Guardian Spirit lectured him. He turned his face away. The Raven ruffled up all his feathers, then settled them, preening each one individually, **_~Honestly, fledgling... I don't know what to do with you. We haven't spoken in almost three years! I might be able to help you if you'd give me half a chance...~_** He left the last sentence hanging, as if asking Andros to respond.

When Andros failed to answer him for another ten minutes, the Raven finally gave up, **_~All right. I can't force you to talk to me. But please, Andros, for your own sake, find someone to talk to. You need to.~_** With those parting words and the rush of great wings, the Raven was gone. Andros continued to sit silently still, focusing on the ground in front of him as if his life depended upon it. He didn't even notice when the tears starting running in tracks down his face.

It wasn't until much later that Andros came back to himself again. The sunlight was starting to dim, leaving a murky gray in its wake. It was so depressingly appropriate that Andros almost smiled. Almost being the key word. With a heavy heart, he rose to his feet, weaving unsteadily as if he were half dead. Which, in a way... he was.

Andros stumbled out of the clearing, body and mind completely numb. Before, it had hurt. The pain had been so overwhelming that he'd been sure it would tear him apart. Zhane's words had struck nerves deep within him. It had hurt so badly because Zhane had been right... and he hadn't seen it. He'd hurt Zhane and hadn't even noticed. It was unforgivable.

He'd spent some time wallowing in the agony, trying to deny the truth of his lover's words. But Zhane _was_ right, and he'd been right to do what he had. He was better off leaving... finding someone else... someone who wouldn't hurt him. Someone who would understand him... someone who would be able to meet his needs. He had no right to ask anything of Zhane, not after what he'd done. So, he'd gathered up his strength and pushed back the pain -- pushed it back behind the walls that had hidden his memories of Zhane so well for so long. It had left him numb, but anything was better than that soul-searing pain. Right?

Realizing dimly that he was getting closer to downtown Angel Grove, Andros had DECA teleport down more appropriate clothing: black jeans and a blood red shirt. The dark, dull colors seemed well-suited to his current mood. He also asked her to keep the other Rangers off his trail -- she'd proven fairly adept at that already, and he wasn't above taking advantage. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he began to walk. He just wasn't ready to go back to the Megaship and face the other Rangers. How could he even begin to explain what had happened? No. He needed time to think. A **lot** of time.

* * *

Several hours later he was no closer to an answer and the numbness was starting to dissipate, leaving a sharp, raw ache in its place. A distant rumbling made him look up. He hadn't even noticed the dark, angry storm clouds which had gathered during his wanderings.

A bitter chuckle escaped his lips as the clouds broke open and a steady downpour drenched him to the skin. He stood there in the rain, unable to move and unwilling to care. Caring hurt too much. Everyone he'd ever cared about had left him eventually. So why bother?

The rain was chilling him to the bone, bringing with it its own kind of numbness, and he could only be grateful for it. None of his friends were around to break him out of his state of shock... and so it was with great surprise that he felt someone grab his arm and drag him inside a nearby building. Andros idly noted the sign as he was pulled under it: Adele's Surf Spot.

The stranger shook him roughly, "Geez, man! What were you thinking? That's a sure way to catch pneumonia! You feelin' all right?"

He stared at the owner of the pleasant tenor voice, disbelieving that anyone would interfere in his affairs. The young man was taller than himself and had a full head of long brown hair that fell straight and soft to mid-back. His brown eyes held true concern and worry as they met his. He repeated his question, " _Are_ you feeling all right?"

Andros stirred himself enough to nod. The young man shook his head sadly, "Yeah, I believe **that**. C'mon. Sit with me and I'll buy you a cup of tea. You look like you could use it."

He led Andros to a table and pushed him down into a seat. Andros couldn't bring himself to be much more responsive. When the other man pressed a mug into his hands he took a few hesitant sips, the practical side of him acknowledging that he had to do something to warm up. The other man sat across from him and sighed deeply, "I don't suppose you want to talk about whatever it is that sent you out into that storm?"

Andros shook his head and took another sip of tea. The warmth was finally starting to seep into his chilled body, but it was doing nothing to warm his frozen soul. To his dismay, his drinking companion continued to talk.

"You know... I used to be a lot like you. Nothing and no one could touch me and I could never talk about what was bothering me. It cost me the most important people in my life."

Andros looked up, interested in spite of himself.

The other man gave a bitter chuckle, "My best friends, my girlfriend... I pushed them all away without even realizing it. At first, I was angry, after all, they were the ones who up and left me, right?" He paused to take a sip of his tea, and his voice was subdued when he continued, "What I didn't see was that it was **my** fault, not theirs. They might have left me, but only because I shut them out. Once I got over being angry and realized exactly what I'd done... guilt central, man. So my natural response was to assume that if I was such a bad friend that they were willing to leave me alone when I gave them the least excuse... then they were probably better off without me."

Andros nodded, silently agreeing with the other man's assessment. It made perfect sense to _him_ , "So what happened?"

The young man leaned back and answered, a light hint of sarcasm in his voice, "I have a very smart, very loyal friend. He gave me a good, swift kick to the posterior and told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was being an ass. He told me that my girlfriend loved me and always would and that he and the others would be there to support me no matter what. And if I didn't think that they could forgive me for being such a jerk, then I was an even bigger idiot than he'd thought." The stranger's lips stretched into a grin, "I've got good friends." He paused, "Whatever happened... I'm sure that with time and effort, you can fix it. Any rift, no matter how wide and deep it seems, can be fixed if both people want it badly enough."

Andros folded his hands on the table and stared down at them, "I don't think it's that simple..."

"Of course not, man! Friendships are hard work. They take effort on both sides or they don't thrive. I had to learn that the hard way..." His voice trailed off.

Andros sighed, "So did I..."

The stranger clapped a hand on Andros' shoulder, "Whatever you did, if they're truly your friends, they'll forgive you." He smiled, "And I can't give you any more advice without details."

That pulled a reluctant smile out of Andros, "No. Thank you, but that won't be necessary."

The young man frowned as he released Andros' shoulder, "All right... but if I were you, I'd find someone you _can_ talk to. It never does any good to keep things bottled up inside, you know."

Andros _did_ know -- hadn't Zhane told him the very same thing, year after year?  But hearing this young man say it, so closely echoing the Raven's words of advice... this time, it hit home. The other man was right. He was out of his league... desperately out of his league. He needed help, and **gods** but that was hard to admit. But who could he talk to? Who did he know that would understand his problem and be willing to wait to pass judgment? He was hesitant to tell the other Rangers -- for some reason, he really didn't think that any of them would be able to be impartial about it.

Taking his leave of the other man, Andros continued to ponder the problem. He didn't think DECA or Alpha would be any help, either. They both tried, and they both meant well, but they were still computers. Handling delicate human emotions wasn't exactly a specialty for either one of them.

Well, whatever the case was, he'd just talked himself out of returning to the Megaship. He didn't want to subject the others to himself in this state, and in truth, he didn't really wish to subject **himself** to the other Rangers when he was in this state. He sighed, took one more glance at the rapidly fading sunset, and once again began to walk.

* * *

Tommy watched the young man leave Adele's with a thoughtful frown on his face. He had a suspicion that he knew who he'd just spoken with, but wasn't absolutely sure. He pushed aside his rapidly cooling tea and slowly stood. Adele caught him staring at the tabletop and walked over, a concerned expression on her face, "Tommy? You OK, honey?"

Tommy looked up, a genuine smile warming his eyes, "I'm fine, Adele. Thank you for asking." His eyes took on a faraway look before returning to the Surf Spot's matronly hostess. "Do you mind if I use your phone?"

Adele smiled and patted his hand, "Sure, honey, you go right ahead." She began to walk away, but stopped and turned, "By the way, thanks for dragging Andros in from the storm. That boy's alone far too much for his own good."

Tommy froze mid-step and turned, "You know him?"

Adele nodded, "Sure. He and his friends come in here all the time... but even when he's with them, he's so withdrawn. Can't imagine why he'd have been wandering about in the rain all by his lonesome... Why did you want to know?"

Well, that answered that question. Being the Falcon's Ninjetti, he'd thought he'd recognized the protective wings of another Avian Spirit over the young man, but he hadn't been positive. Now he was sure. That desperately unhappy young man was the Red Lightstar Ranger. He whistled low in his throat. Whoo... boy. He had to tell the others -- assuming that they didn't already know. But first he had to do something to help Andros.

Completely forgetting to answer Adele's last query, Tommy lifted the phone from it's cradle and dialed the Youth Center. When Ernie's ever-cheerful voice answered, he couldn't help smiling into the receiver, "Hey Ernie, it's Tommy. Can I talk to Kim?"

"Sure thing, Tommy. She's just finishing up her class. I'll go get her for you."

* * *

Kim smiled at her group of students. They'd been working hard these past weeks, getting ready for the gymnastics expo, and she was fiercely proud of every one of them. She hadn't intended to ever get back into gymnastics, but the world had a way of messing with even the best-laid plans. Her old coach had fallen ill shortly after the Rangers had returned from Phaedos and had asked her to help out until he was feeling better. She'd been reluctant at first, but now she was glad that she'd agreed. In many ways, coaching was far more enjoyable and satisfying to her than competing had ever been.

She gave her class one more rousing pep talk and released them back to their waiting parents. When she bent over to pick up her towel, she noticed Ernie waving at her from the counter. She waved back and walked over, "What's up, Ernie?"

Ernie handed her the phone, "It's Tommy. He wants to talk to you..." He gave her a sly smile and a wink.

She playfully smacked the older man on the arm and grabbed the phone. Ernie always managed to make her feel like a young girl, something she often forgot that she was. It seemed like he went out of his way to make her feel like the last two years hadn't happened. She was just a normal high school graduate -- overly cheerful, optimistic and ready to take on the world. In truth, of all the things she'd missed about Angel Grove, Ernie and the Juice Bar were way up on the list. Many of the happiest days of her life had occurred right within these walls. It gave her an anchor, a place to call home. And Ernie had become a sort of surrogate father to her. In the wake of all the upheavals in her life it was something she sorely needed.

She pushed aside those thoughts for a later time and smiled into the phone, "Hey, Tommy... what's up?"

Tommy's voice was preoccupied and worried-sounding, "Kim... I need your help."

Those four words immediately put the Pink Ranger on alert, but the rational part of her mind insisted that if it were Ranger business, Tommy would have used the communicator, not the phone. She forced herself to calm down and take a deep breath, "Are you OK?"

Immediately, Tommy's voice dropped into an apologetic tone, "Oh... Kimmy... Yeah, I'm fine. I'm worried about someone else." This time he didn't make her wait for an explanation, "I just ran into the Red Space Ranger. Kim, I think he and Zhane had a fight or something." He pressed on, telling her what had happened and what little he'd managed to do to help.

Kim was impressed. She knew how close to home this must have hit for the former White Ranger. It paralleled their own history a little too closely. And the fact that he'd once again been practically helpless must have been a shot straight to the heart. But he'd called her and asked for help anyway. Kim felt a sudden surge of pride for her partner. He'd grown so much in the past year, both mentally and emotionally. She loved him so very much.

"I'll go track him down. Maybe he'll find it easier to talk to a girl." She didn't really believe that, but she knew that Andros shouldn't be alone right now, and it was worth a shot.

Tommy's voice was tinged with relief, "I knew I could count on you. Thanks, Kim."

Kim smiled. She loved it when he spoke like that, as if she were the most important person in the world and he trusted her completely to do what he could not. She'd missed hearing that in his voice. It was only just now starting to reappear. He was only just now beginning to feel secure enough in his own Power and abilities to let it. It made her even more sure that she never wanted to let him down. She let that warm glow radiate down their ever-strengthening bond and let the love shine in her voice, "I love you, too, Tommy. I'll call you later and let you know how it went."

After exchanging a few more words, Kim hung up the phone. She raised her eyes to meet Ernie's concerned ones, "Everything OK, Kim?"

Kim smiled reassuringly at him, "Yeah. Everything's OK -- or as OK as it ever is around here."

Ernie rested one large hand on Kim's shoulder, "You know that I'm here if you need anything, right?"

Kim patted his hand, "I know, Ernie, and I'm grateful. Far more than you can know."

He pulled her into a brief, gruff embrace, then gave her a gentle push towards the door, "Go on then -- don't want you to be late for saving the world."

Kim had been halfway out the door when she heard those words. It made her wonder, yet again, how much Ernie knew. She'd have to find some way to ask him... Later. Right now, her main concern was finding Andros.

* * *

As the red glow faded from the edges of his vision, Jason took a deep breath... and immediately started choking on the thick layer of dust in the air. "Man! This place is a mess." The Red Ranger wiped tears from his eyes with one sleeve while covering his mouth with the other. _Geez... How am I supposed to find Billy in all this?_

Moments later a sandy head of hair popped up from underneath one of the Power Chamber's wrecked consoles. Jason squinted and just managed to make out Billy's features through the dust. He carefully picked his way through the rubble to the Platinum Ranger's side and clapped a hand on the smaller man's shoulder, "Any luck, bro?"

Billy shook his head as he stood up, "Negative. As you can see, this place is a shambles. It took me an hour just to figure out where the main computer console used to be." A frown tugged at his mouth, "The truth is, I don't think we'll be able to get anything useful out of the computers. Whatever circuit boards weren't completely destroyed in the explosion were fairly well fused together by the resulting fire."

Jason let out a sigh as he looked down at the melted boards in Billy's hands, "Damn. I was hoping..."

Billy nodded, "So was I. I suppose we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way."

Jason smiled, "Time to introduce ourselves to the Lightstar Rangers, eh, bro?"

Jason frowned when his friend didn't answer him. Billy tossed the board back onto the pile at his feet and let out a breath. Jason looked on worriedly as Billy stared around the room. His eyes lit on one particular spot and he slowly walked over to it. Jason moved over to join him, "Bro? What's wrong?"

Without a word, Billy slowly pulled something out of the wreckage -- the broken end of half of the Power Lance. Understanding slowly dawned. In spite of how badly Zordon had screwed up in his tenure as their mentor, it was still hard to let go of the past. Times had been so much easier then, and they'd been so much more innocent.

He had never felt more secure than with his original team, and he'd been lucky to get most of that security back. Though Billy was clearly thrilled to be a Ranger again, he'd been awfully quiet since they'd returned to Earth. It was as if the confidence he'd gained on Phaedos had been washed away. He squeezed Billy's shoulder, "You've been awfully quite for the past few weeks. Are you ready to tell me what's wrong, Billy?"

Billy shrugged as he wrapped his hands more firmly around the Power Lance, "I don't really know, Jason. I suppose..."

Jason quietly prompted him when he seemed disinclined to continue, "Yeah, bro?"

Billy ran one hand through his hair, then tugged his shirt back into place, "It's wonderful being the Platinum Ranger, and your mother is an excellent teammate, but it just isn't the same. I've been Blue for so long that nothing else really feels right."

Jason's eyes filled with sympathy, "Change is never easy, huh?" Before Billy could answer, Jason gave his shoulder a firm squeeze, "You know you're always welcome on our team, right, bro?"

Billy nodded, still far too quiet for Jason's tastes. The Red Ranger gently pulled the Power Lance from Billy's hands and put it down on the console in front of Zordon's old dimensional tube. He spoke quietly, "The past is past, Billy. I'm not saying you should forget it... just don't live in it. Those of us in the present would miss you too much. Understand what I'm saying, bro?"

Billy stared at the makeshift memorial for a long, silent moment, then closed his eyes and sighed heavily. When he opened them again they were clear and beginning to shine, "Yes... I do understand. I just needed to hear it. Thank you, Jason."

Jason smiled and clapped Billy's shoulder, "Then let's leave this..." he waved his arm around the Power Chamber, "...in the Past, where it belongs, and go seek out the Present."

Billy smiled, a light smirk playing at the edges at of his lips, "Prodigious..."

Jason laughed and smacked him lightly on the back, "Right on, bro... right on."

Moments later, twin beams of red and platinum light shone through the Power Chamber and disappeared.

* * *

The world returned with agonizing slowness, but even that was not nearly slowly enough. Zhane whimpered and curled a little more firmly into himself. If he'd had any idea that it would hurt this much, he'd have thought twice before embarking on this course... or maybe it would be more accurate to say that he would have **thought** , period. He _should_ have thought. If he had, he'd never have had the guts, or the stupidity, to do what he'd done.

The first of his senses to re-establish itself was the sense of touch -- he was cold. It must be nearing nightfall... The breeze ruffled his hair and sent its cold fingers right down his shirt collar. But that bitter chill was nothing compared to the one settling in his chest.

The next sense to return was his sense of smell, but the fresh, spring scent of the grass under his nose was totally at odds with how he felt, so he pushed it away.

Taste returned when the salt of the tears that had escaped his control tracked down to his lips and made him cough weakly. He fought each return with everything he had. He wanted the darkness back. He wanted... no. He **needed** the numbness. Otherwise he'd fall apart.

Despite his efforts, the next sense made itself felt, not in a rush, but as a slow fade in. It started with two unfamiliar voices... male voices. They held laughter and an innocent sort of joy that he greatly envied. He found himself listening, trying to catch the words as a sort of anchor.

"...You've been getting better, bro! Might actually beat me one of these days..."

A deep baritone voice that practically radiated calm strength and leadership, very pleasant to listen to. Zhane caught himself idly wondering if it could sing.

"Highly unlikely. I don't think I'll ever reach your level of ability with the martial arts."

A lighter tenor, but no less pleasant. Reminded him of Carlos in some ways -- quiet and unassuming, but with an underlying feeling of competence and intelligence.

"Never say never, bro. Never say never."

The first voice again -- now quiet and intense... and getting closer.

Instinctively, he tried to get his arms and legs to work, to move himself out of the pair's obvious line-of-sight, but his cold, exhausted limbs refused to cooperate. A very nearby, very startled gasp finally prompted him to pry his eyes open... and sight returned in a rush of blinding colors. His vision locked onto a pair of very familiar mahogany-colored eyes for the second time that day, only this time in a male face. He only barely had time to register that the owner of the eyes, and the deeper of the voices, was asking if he was OK before the blessed numbness finally rose up to send him sliding back into the dark.

* * *

It took a moment for Jason to realize that the young man had passed out. In truth, he felt quite a bit shocked himself. His uniform clearly identified him as a Space Ranger, and his hair and features marked him as Zhane, the current Silver Ranger. But all the reports and all the pictures had left him unprepared for one thing... Zhane's eyes. They'd been hauntingly familiar. He turned to look at Billy as the Platinum Ranger knelt down next to him, "Well, bro? Suggestions?"

Billy frowned in thought as he eyed the ever-darkening sky, "It's most likely too late to attempt to contact the Space Rangers this evening. Perhaps we should bring him with us to your home. He looks like he could use a warm bed and a good meal."

Jason nodded, "I agree. And maybe my mom'll have some idea about what's going on." He lifted the Silver Ranger, cradling him gently in his arms. He murmured, mostly to himself, "He's so light."

Zhane stirred in his sleep, his brow wrinkling in pain. He curled himself closer to the Red Ranger's warmth and whimpered slightly, "Andros..." Jason just held him tighter as he walked, his own heart aching with the pain he could so clearly feel. _Poor guy. What happened to you?_

When they reached Jason's house, Billy unlocked the door and held it open. As Jason stepped into the living room and Billy closed the door behind him, he heard his mother's cheerful voice from the kitchen, "Welcome back, boys! Find anything interesting?"

Jason and Billy shared a wry look. They'd found something interesting, all right... just not what they'd expected to find. Aerin emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel, "Well? What... did... oh my." Aerin's eyes went wide with shock as one hand rose to her mouth and the other pressed to her chest. Her voice re-emerged as a harsh whisper, "What... what happened? Is he OK?"

Jason laid Zhane carefully down on the living room couch, letting Billy answer for them, "We don't know. We found him like this in the park. He woke up briefly, but lapsed into unconsciousness shortly thereafter."

Jason straightened from where he'd been tucking a blanket around the unconscious Silver Ranger, "Mom... he's hurting. I've never felt anything like it before. So much pain..." He wrapped his arms protectively around himself, as if that might help him block it out.

Immediately, she was there supporting him. Her slim arms wrapped around him, providing a physical ground for her formidable mental strength. Her mind created an effective barrier around his own, holding the worst of the pain away. He smiled in gratitude, "You're the best, mom." As close as they were at that moment, it was impossible for him to miss the sudden surge of guilt in the Green Ranger's mind. "Mom?"

At his query, she immediately let go of him, leaving the strength of her shields around him, but not allowing him any closer contact, "It's nothing, Jason. Nothing..." Which, of course, made him automatically assume that it must be something.

Jason watched as she drifted over to the couch and sat down gingerly on the edge. She lifted one hand and gently pushed a lock of hair out of Zhane's eyes. Her own were unreadable. Jason watched the tableau in confusion, suddenly feeling as if he were intruding on something intensely private. That made no sense. After all, Aerin and Zhane had never met before... right?

He started as he felt a tug on his sleeve. He'd been so focused on his mother that he'd forgotten that anyone else was in the room. Billy leaned closer and whispered, "Come on. I think she wants to be alone with him for a while."

Jason nodded and slowly followed Billy out of the living room. Neither one mentioned the oddity of the situation. They didn't have to. Jason put his mind to work trying to figure out this newest piece to the puzzle that was his mother. Maybe Billy would have some insight. He sure hoped so.

* * *

Tommy walked slowly down the street, lost in thought. Of all the problems he thought the Rangers would face in the coming months, this had been farthest from the top of the list -- hell, it hadn't even been **on** the list. Andros and Zhane were such a solid couple, bards throughout the galaxy had written ballads about them. No one had even thought to prepare for something like this, and with the Lightstar Ranger team so divided, they would be easy prey for Astronema and Dark Spectre.

The Green Ranger turned at the corner and began walking up Jason's street. Since Aerin was more familiar with the Lightstar Rangers, he hoped she would have an insight into the problem that he'd overlooked. She always seemed to know more than she let on, as if she were always keeping secrets. Tommy had tried to broach the subject with Jason on Phaedos, but the Red Ranger hadn't wanted to hear it. He was as dazzled by his mother as Tommy had ever been by Zordon. Tommy couldn't really blame him, but it made things difficult at times.

Tommy walked up the front drive, wondering how he was going to explain this new problem to the elder Green Ranger without sounding accusatory. He had a suspicion that Aerin knew he didn't totally trust her, but what confused him the most was that she seemed to be fostering that mistrust on purpose... and he didn't know why. But if he were being honest, he'd admit that he'd likely never understand even half the things the Altiyaran-born Ranger did.

He raised a hand to ring the doorbell, but the door opened before he completed the motion. Aerin stood on the other side, a finger held to her lips in the universal gesture for silence. She motioned him inside and he obeyed with a raised eyebrow.

The normally cheerful and cozy living room was dark, all the shades drawn and the lamps turned off. Aerin led him past the living room and down the hall to Jason's bedroom. As they passed the couch, Tommy frowned. It almost looked like there was a person curled up there, but he couldn't see well enough to be sure. He mentally added it to the growing list of questions he had for the Green Darkstar Ranger.

They paused at Jason's door while she knocked. Tommy was only mildly surprised when Billy answered. If the Red and Blue Rangers had been close before going to Phaedos, they were almost inseparable now. Every now and then that fact still caused a surge of jealousy on Tommy's part, but he hid it for Jason's sake, and -- he could admit it now -- a sense of competition. If Trini could handle it, so could he. And really, the last thing the Red Ranger needed was to be forced into a position where he'd have to choose between his two best friends. Billy looked mildly surprised to see Tommy, but ushered them inside quickly.

Jason was sitting on his bed, a mildly confused expression on his face. When they were both inside, he looked up and tried to catch his mother's eyes. The Green Ranger was strangely evasive. Finally, Jason gave up and simply voiced his question, "Mom, how do you know the Silver Ranger?"

Was it his imagination or had Aerin blushed at her son's words? No... definitely not his imagination. Now she was shifting from foot to foot as if in embarrassment, "Well, he's the son of a very close friend of mine... He was born about a year before I left KO-35 to come to Earth."

 _Not true, not true!!_ Tommy's senses all but screamed at him. The words _sounded_ sincere enough, but something about them rang false. Perhaps it was in the way that Aerin simply wouldn't meet any of their gazes as she gave her explanation. Perhaps it was the slight fidget in her hands and feet. Perhaps it was the slight trembles in her breathing as she spoke. Whatever it was, there was something that clued Tommy in to the lie. But why she would lie about something like this, he couldn't even begin to guess. For now, he let the lie pass by unmentioned.

"...so you think that his troubles with the Red Lightstar Ranger have not been resolved?"

Oops. Apparently, he'd missed part of the conversation. He tuned back in as Aerin answered her newest teammate, "Judging from what Jason picked up, yes I'd say that's the case." She turned towards Tommy, as if only then remembering that he hadn't been in on the events of earlier in the day.

Before she could speak, Tommy shook his head, "Wait. Before you spend 20 minutes explaining what's going on, I think I can guess. Andros and Zhane had a fight." At the trio of startled looks he received in response to his statement, the Green Ranger couldn't help but smirk, "I caught the other end. Andros was busy trying to turn himself into a fish earlier. I dragged him in out of the rain and got a bit of what was going on. Kim was going to go find him and try to get him to talk while I came over here to ask our resident Space politics expert her opinion." With that last statement, he quirked an eyebrow at Jason's mother.

Aerin sighed as she sat heavily next to her son, "I don't know what I can say, Tommy. I've been out of touch with the Kerovan people since before Andros was even born. All I can do is extrapolate how he might react to situations based on what I know of his parents. And given what I've heard of his childhood, it's very possible that my guess-timations would be woefully inaccurate."

Tommy nodded. He'd suspected as much, but it hadn't hurt to ask, "Then I suppose we'll have to wait for Kim to swing by and tell us what she found out. Though I doubt she'll have much more luck getting Andros to open up than I did. That boy's worse than I _ever_ was."

"Perhaps we won't have to wait that long..." Tommy turned to look at the Platinum Ranger. Billy's eyes were thoughtful, "I believe you didn't see exactly who is keeping company on the Scotts' living room couch..." At Tommy's headshake, Billy gave him a sad little smile, "Jason and I found Zhane unconscious in the park on our way back from the Power Chamber."

Tommy nodded in understanding, "So we just have to wait until he wakes up and ask him."

"We may not need to wait much longer." Tommy started, having nearly forgotten that Jason was in the room, he'd been so quiet. His eyes held that glazed, slightly unfocused look that was a clear sign that he was utilizing senses other than the normal five. He continued, "I think our visitor is already awake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
> Zhane: O_O Oh, come **on** , already! I didn't get to be conscious for more than a minute or two! You just _had_ to end it there, didn't you? *thud*
> 
> Jason: *frowns* I have to say... that really wasn't cool.
> 
> R-chan: *rae* Do you _really_ want to temp me here, Jason?
> 
> Jason: O_O Maybe not... *edges away*
> 
> R-chan: ^_^ I didn't think so.
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, roasted plantains? Mmm... Roasted plantains... with cinnamon...
> 
>  _Coming Soon:_ Aerin learns how very much Zhane is like his father and has cause to curse the fact. As for Zhane, he's trying... but all he really wants is to disappear.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 14, 2010:_** I enjoy this chapter, mainly because we get to see Zhane from the point of few of a few "outsiders." ^_^ However... it's a short chapter, so I may post a second one later. :-P We'll see.

Zhane opened his eyes and slowly stretched. He couldn't even claim the small comfort that fuzzy memory would have given him. The partially sundered bond he shared with Andros, once a source of warmth and strength, had collapsed into a black hole. If it weren't for the knowledge that Andros was **not** dead, was not even remotely close to it, Zhane might have been tempted to let it suck him in. Finally he understood a little of why Andros had buried the memory of his existence when he'd thought the Silver Ranger had perished. How else would he have survived under a burden such as this?

He still had no idea what had gone wrong. He hadn't been trying to do anything permanent. He had just wanted Andros to see what he'd been doing. Zhane raised his hands and pressed his palms against his eyes. He would **not** start crying again. No matter how much it hurt... he wouldn't. For now he had more important worries -- for example, where the hell was he?

The Silver Ranger sat up to take in his surroundings. He was on a couch and someone had thoughtfully draped a blanket over him. The curtains had been drawn, leaving the room in near darkness, but he could just make out vague shapes that were most likely furniture -- armchairs, tables, a loveseat, a fireplace -- someone's living room... perhaps one of the two young men who had found him earlier. Well, he'd taken advantage of their hospitality long enough, whoever they were.

Zhane pulled the blanket off and swung his feet to the floor. The world tilted crazily for a moment, testimony to how very little rest and food he'd had the past few days. He froze, waiting for the room to stop moving. _Gods... what a mess I am..._ It hadn't escaped him what a horrid time this was for a Ranger to be out of action, either. He once again cursed himself for being ten kinds of a fool. By the time he was finished mentally berating himself the world felt like it had stopped spinning, so he took a deep breath and stood up.

_All right, genius. Now what?_ He didn't want to go traipsing around someone's home as if he owned it, but neither did he wish to leave without at least thanking his host. After a moment's deliberation he decided that not showing gratitude would be the worse transgression. Using the furniture as a guide in the dark, he slowly made his way towards the wall. He doubted that a person caring enough to shelter a stranger would leave said stranger completely alone. Even though this was Earth, not KO-35, he still felt that a fair assumption. So, it stood to reason that there would be at least one person in the house with him. He just had to figure out where.

Feeling along the wall led him to an exit. Now that his vision was adjusting to the dark, he could make out a table, chairs... ah. The dining room, and the room beyond -- if Earthlings were anything at all like his people -- would be the kitchen. He backed out of that doorway with a sigh. However hungry he might be, he wouldn't go plundering through his host's kitchen without permission. That just wasn't right, especially with all that this unknown person had done for him already.

He felt a little further along the wall until he found another exit, a hallway this time. He began walking down the hall looking for some sign of life. A soft glow off to his right drew him into another room. There was no one in here either, just more furniture, some bookshelves, one of those Earth vidscreens -- What had Cassie called them? Ah... TVs -- and there were pictures. A lot of them. All over the walls. Zhane couldn't restrain his curiosity any longer and began walking around the room examining each photograph. The majority of them seemed to be of a young woman, a young man, and someone that Zhane assumed to be their child -- one of the two who had found him in the park. He had suspected as much, but he hadn't suspected the other truth revealed in these pictures: the young man's mother was the very same woman that he'd found practicing martial arts that morning. Now **there** was an unlikely coincidence for you...

As Zhane's eye followed the photographs, he noticed that they were arranged in a progression of time, the young man getting older and older in each one until the very last one in which he matched almost exactly with Zhane's mental image of him from earlier that day. Zhane looked closer at that picture. The boy was outside in some sort of wooded area, his arm around the shoulders of the sandy-haired youth that had also been with him today. On the other side of the blond stood the young woman. All three were smiling. Zhane nearly found himself smiling in response.  There was such warm, open affection between the three that it easily reached out of the paper to snare the unwary observer. It made Zhane want to know these people, to become friends with these people. He chuckled ruefully. It made him want to _find_ these people. But first, the rest of the photographs.

He followed the progression of pictures back to the earliest one -- when the dark-haired boy was only a baby -- and as he did, he became aware of something out of place. While it could clearly be seen in the procession of photos that both men had aged, the woman looked the same in the first picture as she had this morning. Not a single wrinkle marred her smooth skin, though her husband's was beginning to show the track marks of the emotions he felt most frequently. Not a single strand of gray graced her mane of ebony hair, though it liberally spiced her husband's. Most humans showed at least _some_ sign of advancing age over the course of 20 years, both here and everywhere else in the Universe. Naturally -- or unnaturally, as the case may be -- there were a hundred ways to explain the lack of them. Maybe she had really good skin. Perhaps she dyed her hair. But there was something else out of place, as well. Something other than the age discrepancy that was screaming that it was unusual. Something in that first photograph... His eyes widened in shock when he finally figured out what it was. It was her necklace. He had seen it somewhere before -- or one so like it that it could be its twin. The pendant was a stylized version of the seals of Triforia and Altiyar... and Prince Trey had one just like it. Perhaps he _hadn't_ imagined it when he saw one of the Gold Ranger's spin kicks in the woman's kata this morning... But how was that possible? None of this made any sense...

And he had the oddest feeling that he had seen that necklace somewhere else... a very long time ago. It wasn't like him to be unable to put a finger on a memory. He lifted his hand, tracing the outline of the necklace, eyes gone unfocused in thought.

"Hey, he _is_ awake! How're you feelin', man?"

So intent upon his failing memory had Zhane been that he'd failed to hear the footsteps approaching from further up the hall. He jumped, ashamed to have been caught poking around someone else's home _by_ the someone else, and locked eyes with the young man from the photographs. Next to him were three others: the sandy-haired young man, a long-haired man that he didn't recognize, though he was the one who had spoken, and the woman he'd met this morning. Her eyes locked onto the spot on the photograph where his hand had been while her own hand slowly rose to rub at her collarbone... where the necklace would rest if she were wearing it...

...And the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. He didn't know how he'd missed it earlier, but with all four of these people together, it was impossible to miss it now. His eyes widened as all the little details formed up into a whole picture... "You're all Rangers!"

_Oh shit... did I say that out loud?_ Zhane clapped his hands over his mouth, face doing a slow burn. _Wonderful, Zhane. Way to make a good first impression..._

Fortunately for all concerned, the dark-haired woman stepped into the sudden silence with a smile, "Well, that saves me quite a few explanations, Zhane. Thank you." She placed her hand in the crook of his left elbow as he slowly lowered his arms, "If I may introduce everyone?" At his nod, she continued, "I'll start with myself, then. My name is Aerin, and as you may or may not have guessed, I am the Green Darkstar Ranger."

* * *

The explanations actually took less time than Aerin had suspected they would. Zhane had been well-briefed on the current Earth situation. Likely once she had resurfaced the Council on Eltar had set their best people on her tail to figure out what she was up to. They didn't like surprises, and Aerin was usually full of them.

She lifted a spoonful of the sauce she was preparing and lightly tasted it. Nearly ready. She just had to add the last of the spices... Zhane surprised her by speaking up, his voice full of merriment in spite of the hardships he had endured that day. He was _so_ like Randi it made her heart ache.

"Now, where have I smelled _that_ smell before...?"

She turned to catch his gaze and found his eyes sparkling with mischief. She shook her head and wagged her wooden spoon at him, "If you dare tell me that it doesn't measure up..."

Zhane eyed the wooden spoon with not-entirely-faked fear in his eyes. Aerin snickered -- the wooden spoon wasn't her first choice of weapon, and she might not be as fast with it as her mother was, but she was no slouch with it, either. Clearly Zhane had had some experience with her mother's wooden spoon. He held his hands up in surrender, "Lady Aerin, I would never _dream_ of implying any such thing!"

Aerin stifled a laugh in her free hand as she turned to stir the sauce. She caught three highly confused stares out of the corner of her eye and amusedly began to explain, "Most of the dishes that I make are actually variations on my mother's recipes. She's quite the chef, and she's always been a creative cook. The magic she can work in the kitchen..." Her eyes closed for a moment in pure wistfulness before she continued, "...she makes me look like the amateur that I truly am."

Billy and Jason both raised voices in protest, but she waved them silent, "No, boys, I'm serious. I'm no cretin in the kitchen, but compared to my mother, I have no skill at all."

Zhane spoke up, quiet awe in his voice, "I have never sampled the Lady Aerin's cooking, but I can certainly vouch for Lady Nanya's. She hasn't become universally-renowned for nothing, you know." He leaned back in his chair and rested his feet on the one across the table, "People come from light-years around to study with her and most count themselves lucky if they learn even a fraction of what she knows." He shared a proud smile with Aerin.

Jason shook his head, "I find it hard to believe, that someone's cooking could be so much better than yours, mom..."

Aerin chuckled, "Remind me to take you to Altiyar some day, Jason. I'm sure that Mom would love to meet you -- and what's more, I'm sure she'd love to _feed_ you. Then you can pass your own judgment." Her son laughed and gave her a thumbs-up. She saluted him with the spoon.

Turning her attention back to the simmering sauce, Aerin kept one ear on the conversation going on behind her. Tommy was busy drilling Zhane with questions about the current status of his team, the fight with Dark Spectre, the search for Zordon, anything and everything that he could think of to ask. In spite of the distress that she, and likely Jason as well, could feel seething at the back of the Silver Ranger's mind, he answered truthfully, completely and succinctly. Somewhere along the line, in spite of his clearly unorthodox attitude, a soldier's skills had managed to creep their way into Zhane's make up. Aerin couldn't help the sudden surge of pride that swept through her. By the gods, she wished Randi had lived to see his son grow into the fine young man sitting with her today... _While I'm at it, I may as well wish for Roland and Decka to have survived also -- then we wouldn't have lost Karone to that monster or Andros to the streets of KO-35 and he might not have grown up so screwed up... and he might not have hurt Zhane so badly._ But that was just her overprotectiveness talking. Zhane was a big boy... he could take care of himself. She hoped.

A few final touches and dinner was ready to be served. She pushed Jason, Billy and Tommy out into the dining room to set the table and started getting the food ready to put on the serving dishes. Now that the other three boys were in the dining room, Zhane had fallen silent, brooding. Well _that_ would never do. She sat down caddy-corner to him and reached out a hand to rest on one of his, "Want to talk?"

Zhane started slightly, clearly not having expected to be disturbed. He offered her a sheepish look and a smile. And oh, but that smile was painful to see. It was so cracked around the edges that he might as well not have bothered. Randi used to do exactly the same thing -- pull on a joker's mask to hide the pain underneath it. She hadn't let his father get away with it and she'd be _damned_ if she let him. She ran her other hand gently through Zhane's hair and down his cheek as she shook her head sadly, "Uh-uh, Zhane. I know that trick, and you should know better than to try it on me. I _know_ you're hurting. It'll help if you can talk about it."

He didn't even look surprised at her revelation, but he kept the mask up despite it. There was a melancholy edge to his voice, but the smile stayed stable. "I know. Gods... how many times have I said exactly that to Andros? But... I can't let it go. Not now. If I do..."

Aerin leaned back, understanding breaking over her in a wave, "You're afraid you'll never get it back."

"Got it in one..." was the slightly bitter reply. He sighed melodramatically, then recollected himself, "I've tried self-pity. It doesn't do much for me... never has."

There wasn't much that she could say to that, since she held much the same outlook herself. She rose to finish putting dinner into the serving dishes, wondering what else she could say that hadn't already been said. She wasn't all that surprised when Zhane filled in the silence that she couldn't bring herself to break, "Lady Aerin... That really does smell wonderful."

It was an obvious ploy for a change of topic, but Aerin allowed it for now. But oh how she wished she could make him stop calling her "Lady Aerin". It sounded so ridiculous... She knew what she _wanted_ to hear him call her, but she just couldn't make herself admit to this one secret just yet. And if she wasn't willing to bear the responsibility, she also couldn't claim the reward. She painted a stern expression onto her face and shook the wooden spoon at him, "I don't take that 'Lady' crap from Trey, and I sure as hell won't take it from you, Zhane. I'd rather you just call me Aerin."

Zhane laughed, "Like mother, like daughter, I see." At Aerin's quirked brow he explained, "Nanya doesn't put up with being called 'Lady' either, but _she_ doesn't even let me get away with calling her by name. For as long as I've known her she's accepted nothing less than 'Grandma' from me. It always confused the hell out of Andros..." His voice trailed off, nearly choking on that last word.

Aerin let him have his silence. It wouldn't help him any to keep probing the wound until they could do something about it, but at the same time it still hurt her that there was nothing that she could say that would ease his suffering. But what he'd said... Was it possible that her mother knew...? She wouldn't put it past the older woman. Nanya's intelligence and insight were formidable, especially as regarded the rather large clan that was her family. She was as protective as a she-lion and just as easily provoked when one of her cubs was threatened. So maybe...

The sound of the front door opening cut short her train of thought. She smiled a small smile at the thought of her poor husband. Before leaving for Phaedos, Aerin had taken him aside and, as once promised, explained the truth behind her and their son's identities. He'd been shocked, but he'd taken it in stride. Of course, compared to the next piece of news -- that his wife and son would be absent from his life for a year, possibly more -- it had been nothing. He'd been less than happy about it, but had recognized that there was nothing he could do that would change the situation. He was good at that -- choosing his battles. Not for the first time, Aerin felt that she was underestimating the man. Then again, if he hadn't been remarkable, he never would have attracted her attention in the first place. With a final smile for Zhane she gathered up the serving dishes and headed out into the dining room.

Everett was at the front door taking off his coat and putting away his briefcase. At her appearance, he offered her a bright smile. He was always happy to see her, even after all these years of marriage. It was so charming. She set the plate down and meandered over to claim her kiss, "Welcome home, dear."

He smiled down at her, pulling her into the circle of his arms for a warmer welcome. Aerin allowed herself to melt into the kiss, taking the rare opportunity to rest on someone's strength aside from her own. The four boys politely occupied themselves with arranging the rest of the serving dishes and bringing out drinks. Aerin nearly laughed at the light blush on her husband's face when he noticed what a large audience that they had. She patted his arm and went to show Zhane where he should sit. Normally, Jason and Billy took the seats to her immediate right and left with Everett at the other head of the table. This time they had expanded the table to make room for the additional guests. She put Zhane in Billy's normal seat, leaving him free to sit next to Jason, and placed Tommy next to Zhane. Once everyone was settled and ladling out food, the room promptly fell silent.

Aerin nearly groaned out loud. This would never do... But once again, before she even had a chance to think of something to say, Zhane broke the silence for her. He turned on his full charm and smiled down the table at her husband, "I must say, Mr. Scott, you are a lucky man."

Everett's look was only mildly surprised, "I happen to agree on many counts. To what, in particular, were you referring?"

Zhane only smiled wider and indicated the spread on the table, "Most people count themselves lucky to get fed like this once a year... I can only imagine what it must be like to eat at Nanya's daughter's table every night!"

The Englishman quirked an eyebrow, "You know Aerin's mother?"

The Silver Ranger nodded, "She's been a friend of my family for many years. Whenever I go to visit she sends me home with plenty of leftovers." His face took on a mournful expression as he grumped good-naturedly, "But they never seem to last quite long enough..."

"Then am I to understand that you are also...?" Everett couldn't quite finish the sentence. As well as he had accepted his wife and son and their quirks, he sometimes still found it difficult to truly understand that they were Power Rangers and all that that entailed.

Aerin intercepted this particular question, "He is." At Everett's look of curiosity, Aerin explained, "He is a Lightstar Ranger from KO-35. That's in the same area of the galaxy that I'm from." Before he could ask any further questions, Aerin lifted up the bread basket and smiled sweetly, "Would you like some bread, dear?" Jason nearly choked at her conspicuous change of topic. Everett, recognizing the cue for what it was, took the bread and fell silent.

For the rest of the meal, Aerin entertained everyone with stories of her mother. It was a safe enough topic and didn't allow Everett to feel that he was being left out. After that initial burst of chatting, Zhane fell uncharacteristically silent and in spite of the earlier fuss he'd made about how much he was looking forward to the excellent meal she'd prepared... he hardly touched any of it. Not that Aerin could blame him. In his shoes, she wouldn't have much of an appetite either. So, though her maternal instincts were screaming in protest, Aerin didn't encourage him to eat.

Once they were all finished with their food, Everett excused himself and retreated to his study. Aerin understood. Her poor husband always did get a little flustered when dealing with a situation so clearly outside of his control. Billy and Jason claimed the task of clearing the table and Tommy started cleaning the dishes. Aerin watched them with a guilty look. She really ought to call Will Cranston and apologize for monopolizing his son... but that could wait. Right now she had more pressing concerns. She took Zhane's hand lightly into her own and gave him a gentle smile, "Zhane, you know that you are always welcome in my home, correct?" At Zhane's nod, she continued, "If you wish to stay the night, I'm sure that we can find room for you." Unspoken was the reason -- that if he didn't think he could face Andros they could protect him for now. Also unspoken was that they couldn't do it forever.

Zhane lowered his eyes to the tablecloth, "I appreciate the offer, Aerin, and I truly wish I could take you up on it. But I think I need to head back. The others are probably worried sick by now."

Aerin smiled, though the smile was a melancholy one, "I suspected that would be your answer." She stood and held her arms open. When the Silver Ranger hesitantly allowed himself to move into them, she held him lightly, comfortingly, "If you need anything... anything at all, Zhane, you call me. Is that clear?"

Zhane nodded against her shoulder and brought his arms up to wrap gently around the older Ranger, "Crystal, Aerin. Thank you." With those last words, he pulled himself from her embrace and surreptitiously wiped his eyes. He cleared his throat and pulled out one of his more subdued smiles, "You'll say goodbye to everyone for me?" When Aerin nodded, his smile widened, "I'll see you again, I think. This..." he waved towards the kitchen to include the other Rangers, "...it feels right. I think we'd all benefit from working together." With one last smile for the Green Ranger, Zhane lifted his Astromorpher and teleported home in a flash of silver light.

* * *

Upon reaching the Megaship, Zhane was immediately assaulted by four severely loud, and -- from their words -- severely worried teammates. Even Carlos seemed shaken. Zhane held up his hands for silence, his pained expression calming them faster than any amount of begging would have done. Once they were all quiet, he passed them a wide smile and said, "Here now... what's all the fuss about? I'm fine, I'm in one piece, everything's OK. See? Nothing to worry about."

Cassie gave him a look that clearly stated that she didn't buy his story for a second. She crossed her arms over her chest as she replied, "Yeah. Like we believe that. You were gone all day! And now you came back... without Andros. You can't blame us for being worried. So why don't we just cut the chase and tree the prey... what the hell is going on?"

Zhane frowned at the Pink Ranger, "You mean Andros hasn't come back yet?"

This time it was Ashley's worried voice that answered, "You're sidestepping the issue, but no, he hasn't. He left a few minutes after you did, and he hasn't reported in since. Didn't you see him?"

With the sudden catch in his breathing from the pain induced by that simple question, Zhane almost couldn't answer. He coughed lightly, trying to cover his discomfiture, but he could tell that he wasn't fooling anyone. When he saw that he wasn't going to get off the hook that easily, he choked out a quiet reply, "Yes, I saw him. No, I don't know where he is. We... we sort of agreed to take it easy for a while."

Following that last statement was an immediate dead silence. The four Rangers stared at him, not quite understanding what he had said. It was TJ who finally broke the deadlock, "You... Zhane, are you saying that you broke up?"

Zhane couldn't quite meet the Blue Ranger's eyes as he shook his head in denial, "No... we... **no**. We didn't..." He fell silent for a moment before continuing, "We just need to take a short breather from each other, that's all. It'll work out. You'll see."

After another dead silence, Carlos was the only one who could find something to say, and as usual, it made everyone stop to think, "Who are you trying to convince, Zhane? Us... or yourself?"

Zhane shook his head. When he spoke, it was in the barest of whispers, "I wish I knew, Carlos... I wish I knew."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> :-P No chibi-silliness today. I'm too drained damned drained. *sigh*
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, pomegranates?
> 
> _Coming Soon:_ Andros and Kim discover that they have more in common than either could imagine, each finding a kindred soul in the other. Meanwhile, Astronema reminisces on her lost brother and begins plotting a bloody revenge in honor of the anniversary of his death.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, Daddy!! ^_^ *ponders* You know... I've always thought it a little unfair to have to share your birthday with a holiday... but to have to share it with Income Tax Day? That is massively of the suck. :-P Oh well, at least he's good-natured about it. ^_^
> 
> **_April 15, 2010:_** As you all know, this story took me about 10½ years to write. I worked on it for a year or two, then took an 8 year break when I got stuck on a part. This is the last chapter that was written before that 8 year gap, but is still one of my favorite parts in the fic. ^_^ Enjoy!

The rain had finally slowed to a drizzle, then ceased, leaving the sky rapidly darkening into twilight, then the dark of full evening. Andros hardly noticed. It took all the concentration he had to keep putting one foot in front of the next -- which was unfortunate for him and quite the opposite for the one hunting him. He didn't even see the foot that shot out of the bushes until it had planted itself firmly into his ribs. He went flying backwards, maintaining just enough presence of mind to duck and roll into the fall. He regained his feet quickly and darted a quick glance around the area. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. He knew better than that. Not for the first time, he cursed his emotions. They tripped him up at the worst possible times. He didn't even know if his attacker was from the Dark Fortress or was merely a human out for his wallet. At this point, he almost hoped it was the former -- he could use a good fight.

He let his senses extend out into the night, hoping for some clue. He didn't want to morph without first knowing the identity of his attacker, but being without his defenses was a little unnerving when he knew that a battle was brewing. He forced himself into stillness, trying to gauge where the next attack would come from.

It never did. His attacker stepped out of the bushes with a sheepish, slightly embarrassed smile gracing her features and her hands held out in a gesture of peace. She was a petite brunette clad in jeans, sneakers, a pink leotard and a brown leather jacket. Even before she spoke, Andros knew who she had to be. Her aura was strong, vibrant like few he'd ever seen, and her Guardian Spirit was fierce in his protection. She was the Crane. And that meant that she was Earth's Pink Ranger. What he _didn't_ know was why she'd felt the need to attack him. He relaxed his defensive posture but maintained his senses at their most acute, waiting for her to speak first.

She didn't waste any time getting to the explanations, "Sorry about that, but you weren't responding to my more friendly attempts to say ‘Hello'." She held out her hand with a smile, "Name's Kim. Kim Hart. Nice to meet you."

_What is it with Earthers and handshakes?_ In spite of his dislike of the gesture, Andros gripped her hand and obligingly pumped it up and down. Once that was out of the way, he cleared his throat, "Andros. But I suspect you already knew that."

Tucking her hands sheepishly into her pockets, Kim responded, "I did. I've been looking for you." She tilted her head at him, "You're a hard man to find when you don't want to be found, Andros."

Having spent years honing his skills at "not being found", Andros was less than surprised by that assessment. He was also less than eager to continue this conversation without knowing its purpose. He stared straight into Kimberly's eyes -- an intimidation tactic, but a useful one -- and got ready to start his interrogation. Most people turned away from a direct stare. They ducked their eyes, stammered out apologies, hastened to make amends for whatever they might have done. It was good old-fashioned street politics. Intimidate who you can, avoid who you can't. He became aware that Kimberly Hart wasn't looking away. She was meeting him stare for stare. He blinked and leaned in closer. That was unusual. That was _very_ unusual. Andros found himself intrigued in spite of all his attempts to be otherwise.

Her eyes... they were different, somehow. Underneath the insane level of cheer and friendliness, they were colder. Unlike his fellow Rangers, unlike even Zhane, these eyes had seen hardship. Somewhere, somehow, these eyes had seen the street from the inside. Well. That was interesting. He'd have to ask her about it someday. Deciding that this was useless, he abruptly changed tactics. Giving her the most sincere smile he could manage, Andros asked the question that she'd obviously been hunting for, "So what can I do for you, Kimberly?"

If she was startled by the abrupt change in tone or the abrupt change in topic, she certainly didn't show it. She merely smiled one of those wide smiles and wrapped her arms around her chest, "Well, for starters you can walk someplace warmer with me. It's getting chilly."

_Nice try, Kim. This is Angel Grove. It's always warm here and you're not even shivering. You're after something else. I just wish I knew what..._ Old instincts were beginning to prickle and stir. Something about Kim was rousing them. He hadn't felt this aware of a fellow human being since Mi-- he cut that thought off at the roots. He didn’t need that particular brand of guilt trip. Not now. Not when there was still nothing he could do about it. And since he didn't want to spend time thinking about things he couldn't help, humoring the Pink Ranger at his side seemed a reasonable second option. And it would give him a good reason for not returning to the Megaship. He knew himself well enough to not pretend that he didn't need one. And this was perfect. Resigning himself to an evening in a stranger's company, Andros waved at the wide walkway in front of them, "Lead on, then."

Kimberly smiled, a more predatory look than truly belonged on that innocent-seeming visage, and did.

* * *

Kim looked up at the man walking quietly next to her and heaved a huge mental sigh. From beginning to end that confrontation hadn't gone as she'd planned. She'd intended to just "run into" Andros while out walking in the park. She hadn't expected to have to attack him just to get his attention. That level of distraction was a bad sign, not to mention downright dangerous. Tommy had hinted that there was trouble in Andros and Zhane’s little paradise, but nothing of this magnitude. Kim had a sense that what was going on between those two was something akin to what had sent her running to Florida to get away from Tommy. It was a miracle of the highest order that she and Tommy had been able to work things out. To hope for two such miracles in the space of one year... that might well be an unreasonable expectation.

As to what Kim was going to do about it... she wished she had a clue. The flaw in hers and Tommy's relationship had revolved around a very concrete problem with Tommy's powers that they'd eventually been able to fix. This thing between Andros and Zhane was more complicated than that. Yes, there was something wrong, but a trip to Phaedos wouldn't be able to fix it. What they really needed was marriage counseling, something she was ill-equipped to provide and they were likely ill-equipped to receive. Andros, at least, would never talk about his most personal feelings to a stranger. Which of course begged the question: What on Earth was she hoping to accomplish by this?

She didn't have an answer to that. This side-trip to the Juice Bar was a mere stall tactic. She had a feeling that Andros had figured that out and was just being polite in not calling her on it. The boy was a puzzle, if nothing else. It was almost disconcerting. That staring contest they'd engaged in earlier, for example. People didn't do that in polite society. He'd been trying to intimidate her into giving something up and she'd responded in kind without even thinking about it. Instinct drilled into her from that year on the streets had leapt back to the fore as she'd met him stare for stare. When he'd failed to crack her that way, he'd broken off and redirected his tactics. It wasn't until then that she'd realized what he'd been doing. It was a good thing that he hadn't called her on it, she might have spilled everything right there. She hadn't even told Tommy, yet, what she'd been doing in the time she'd been gone. But something about Andros whispered that he would understand. Another piece to the puzzle.

They reached the Juice Bar with Kim still having no idea what she intended to do. Andros held the door open for her, a bemused smile on his face as he regarded the interior. That's right... the current team of Rangers made their "home" at Adele's Surf Spot. He'd probably never been to Ernie's. Speaking of whom... Ernie was meticulously cleaning up the bar, getting ready to close up for the night. Spotting the two of them, he waved, "Hey, Kim. You going to be here long?"

Kim walked up to the bar and sat down, "If you don't mind?"

He smiled as he finished polishing the last of the glasses, "Not at all. Just lock up when you're done, OK?"

Perfect. She nodded, "I will, Ernie. Thanks."

With a gentle smile, Ernie took his leave of the two of them. The sound of the lock clicking home from the outside caused Andros to twitch slightly. A double-edged sword that sound. On the one hand, it meant security. On the other, it meant they were trapped. Only the knowledge that there was access to the lock on the inside kept Kim from twitching along with him. It was always strange to be locked into a place you weren't familiar with, after all.

Now that they were alone, a layer of pretense stripped itself away. Andros walked up to the bar level and leaned back against the railing, arms crossed over his chest. He leveled his gaze at the older Ranger and spoke, "You approached me for a reason. You brought me here for a reason. You're going to tell me what it is."

Easy to see why this man was a Red Ranger. His voice practically exuded authority. Even Kim's rebellious mind wanted to jump to answer that order and the mild threat underlying it. Not something to be ignored, either. Kim had caught him off-guard in the park and that might have been the only reason she'd bested him so easily. Had the fight continued, she had no doubt that he would have quickly gained the upper hand. And that wasn't a theory she wanted to test. But she also didn't want him to think he could intimidate her into an answer. That wasn't a good precedent to set if she wanted him to see her as an equal. So she compromised, "Only if you promise to answer my questions with equal honesty. Believe it or not, I'm here to help, but I can't do it without your cooperation."

She could see it as he mentally weighed the pros and cons -- what she could get out of him versus what he could get her to give up. Another mental sigh for this being so difficult. The distrust in those eyes... Someone had damaged Andros, and badly. She'd seen too many eyes like that on the streets, eyes that couldn't trust, eyes that allowed no one in, eyes that spoke little and betrayed nothing of the personality behind them. Finally they crystallized into determination as he grudgingly gave her this concession, "Within reason. I won't lie to you, but I may not be able to answer all your questions."

She nodded, having expected an answer like that, "I understand."

The atmosphere warmed just a touch as Andros sat down two stools away from her and rested his left elbow on the bar, "Then ask your questions, Pink Ranger."

In spite of herself, Kim started at that, then smiled sheepishly, "I wasn't sure you knew."

He shrugged, "I'm sure that I know more about your current activities than you do mine. The Space Rangers have always had a better information network than any of the planet-bound teams. We've had to."

Kim cleared her throat, "Well, then. That saves me quite a bit of explaining." _It's also turning this conversation down a road I didn't want to take it. I'm supposed to help him emotionally, not tactically. Damn it. He should be discussing **this** with Jason._ There was nothing for it, unfortunately. She needed him to trust her and that meant that she was just going to have to let him steer the conversation. Damn. That being the case... "I guess my first question is about your current situation. We have two full Ranger teams and one partial team here. We'd all be willing to help you fight Dark Spectre." She paused, a smile curving her lips, "Actually, I think ‘eager' would be a better word choice." She cocked an eyebrow at him in question.

Another surprise: rather than immediately rejecting or accepting her offer, Andros actually took time to consider it, again weighing the pros and cons. Kim caught herself wondering if the younger man ever did something without thoroughly thinking it through first. It was a good trait in a tactician, an excellent trait in a leader... but in a person, a friend, a lover... not so much. She cut off her musings as Andros finished his own mental deliberations, "That would be a help." She could almost see it as the makings of a plan began to form in the Red Ranger's mind. "One of the largest problems we've had fighting Astronema is that every time she needs to put us off balance she attacks Earth or what remains of KO-35. By sending us running across the galaxy every other week she keeps us from forming any kind of useful strategy." Andros met her eyes directly, "If one team could stay here, it would free us up, enable us to meet Astronema in less risky territory."

Keeping her tone neutral, Kim asked, "And the rest?"

A decisive answer, "Aerin will come with us. She knows the Megaship far better even than Zhane, and her experience would be invaluable." Not even a hitch to his breathing to betray how saying his lover's name must have hurt. Without even being aware of it, Kim had kicked him over into soldier mode. A mild mental curse as she continued to listen. There'd be no talking to him about anything more personal until he was out of it -- which would likely be _after_ setting his plan into action. He continued, "Her partner can come with her or stay behind with you, as he chooses." Well, Billy would be happy to have a choice, at least... "And whichever team doesn't stay behind... I have a favor of a more personal nature to ask of them."

Kim let out a little sigh, "I'll have to discuss this with the others, of course, but it will most likely be the Earth team that will stay behind to defend Earth. That's what we're here for. The Platinum Ranger will probably want to go with Aerin, especially since he's more aware of what's been going on off-planet than the rest of us."

Andros interrupted with the look of a man who's just put together a puzzle, "Ah! That's right. He spent time on Aquitar, didn't he?"

Kim nodded, "That's right." Andros' expression lightened into an almost-smile as he motioned her to continue. "That will leave it to the Zeo Rangers to do this favor for you. Might I ask what sort of favor?"

Eyes more subdued than they'd been all evening, Andros nodded. There was a story here. A long one from the looks of it, and something that was bothering Andros terribly. Maybe she'd be able to be some help, after all... But before she even had a chance to ponder what the problem might be, Andros seemed to come back to himself and shake off the mood. He turned away from her to rest both arms on the counter, "The colonists of KO-35 fled the planet after Dark Spectre's attack. Even I don't know where they've gone. And to make matters worse, they have no Ranger team. However, that doesn't seem to matter to Astronema. Because she can't attack the Kerovan people, she seems intent on attacking their home. I'd like them to have one to come back to someday, but we can't protect Earth, protect KO-35 and form a cohesive strategy to find Zordon and Dark Spectre all at the same time. It would be a help if one of your teams could protect my homeworld the same way the Earth Rangers will protect Earth."

Lie. Kim knew it. It might be a partial truth, but it wasn't a whole truth. There was far more to the story than that. But just as certainly as she knew that Andros wasn't telling her everything, Kim also knew that, at this juncture, she wouldn't be able to pry it out of him. She leaned back on the bar stool, "That's a tall order, Andros, asking one of our teams to go protect an abandoned world for an indefinite amount of time. You realize that I'll have to talk to Jason and Aisha about this before I can guarantee that we can help you."

He nodded, "I expected as much. Since this is the first opportunity that we've had to contact your teams, though, I couldn't pass up the chance."

"I understand." Kim looked away, not entirely certain what she was supposed to say now that the ‘business' end of things had been cleared up. No part of this night had gone as she'd planned...

Andros' quiet voice slid into the silence as she was still contemplating how to break it, "I met a young man this afternoon. He told me a story about himself. I can't help but think you're connected to it somehow." His eyes drifted up from where they were fixed on the bar to settle on her own, "It wasn't coincidence that you ran into me... was it?"

Kim could almost feel her eyes growing wider. Andros was _good_. She slowly nodded, "Tommy is my boyfriend and Earth's Green Ranger. He asked me to find you and talk to you."

Andros nodded, apparently having expected that answer, "You're the one that ran off on him."

She winced. Running away had not been her best decision. Breaking up with Tommy because she was afraid to try to get to the root of their problems had been her worst decision. Neither were choices she was proud of. Andros took her silence and her flinch as assent and continued in a hushed, confused tone, "There's one thing that I don't understand..."

Could it be this easy? She hadn't truly expected Andros to open up and talk to her, much less that it would be he to broach the subject. What she couldn't deny, however, was that on some level, a sort of camaraderie had grown up between them. Something in her recognized something in Andros as a kindred spirit. Maybe it was enough.

Andros took a deep breath, "I understand why you left him. What I _don't_ understand is why you came back. If he treated you so badly, pushed you away so harshly, what made you give him a second chance?"

Oh, how she wanted to wrap her arms around him! She didn't dare, though. What little trust he had in her would be shattered if she even tried. Only one person was allowed to take those sorts of liberties with Andros and it wasn't her. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Even though she'd gone looking for him to discuss this very thing, Kim was suddenly unsure if she was up to the task. But she had to try, regardless. Matching the younger man's quiet tone, Kim answered as best as she was able, "I love him. He loves me. No matter what stupid stunts he pulled, no matter how badly he suffocated me, I still knew that."

Andros raised haunted eyes to meet hers, "But love isn't enough. We have that and it didn't prevent--" He abruptly cut off what he was about to say, swallowing hard and breaking eye contact.

"I don't have an easy answer for you, Andros. I wish I did. But the truth is, while love is easy, relationships are hard work. They take constant effort on both sides. And more than anything, they take communication. It doesn't matter how tight your mental bond is, you still can't read everything in your friends' thoughts and they can't read everything in yours. If something is wrong, you need to talk to them about it. You need to be open to hearing what _they_ want and finding ways to compromise. It's the most difficult thing in the world..." And now a soft smile, "...but it's also the most worthwhile. After all, what are we without our friends?"

Andros refused to look up, "So it's all about talking? Sharing your thoughts, your feelings, your every mood?" He abruptly stood up and stalked back over to the railing, tense unhappiness written in every line of his body, "What if it isn't that easy?" He whirled back to face her, "You, your boyfriend, Zhane, the other Space Rangers -- you all say ‘Let's talk about it,' as if it's something that everyone can do. Well, what if you can't? What if you keep things inside for a reason? What if it's the most terrifying thing in the world for you to admit to someone else that you're vulnerable? What if you just can't do it? How do you salvage things then?"

Those blazing brown orbs showed more passion, more emotion, than Kim had seen in them all night. The shutters were thrown back and everything normally hidden within was wide out in the open for everyone to see. Kim wanted to jump up and cheer. Instead, she smiled, "That's a good start. Tell Zhane what you just told me, Andros. He knows you're afraid. He wants to help you get past it. Trust me on this one. I know what I'm talking about."

Andros stepped back from her as if she'd thrown a live snake in his face. He was going to bolt in a minute, but at least he would have plenty to think about when he did. Kim just hoped that he would actually take some time to do so.

Under the cover of rummaging in her purse, Kim broke eye contact to give Andros a moment to compose himself. When her fingers closed on her spare communicator, Kim looked back up. Andros was poised on the balls of his feet, as though the desire to stay and the instinct to run were warring inside him. Not wanting to push this fragile alliance any further tonight, Kim decided for him that discretion was the better part of valor. She tossed the communicator to him with a short explanation, "So we can contact you once we meet to discuss the situation."

Andros gave a short nod as he slipped the device into his pocket. He turned, walked a few steps towards the door, then paused. Without fully turning back to face her, he said, "Thank you, Kimberly. I'll think about what you said. I don't know if I can..." His voice trailed off, leaving the last words unspoken, _...But I'll try._

It was more than Kim would have asked for and better than she'd had any right to hope. She gave him back a beaming smile, "Any time, Andros. Any time." It only took the time for those five words to escape her lips for Andros to be out the door and away into the night.

Once the door was closed behind him, Kim let her head drop onto the bar in exhaustion. A little moan escaped her lips, "Tommy, that is the _last_ time I let you talk me into doing you a favor..."

* * *

As midnight settled its full blanket of stars around the shining globe that was the planet Earth, it found most of its current cast of characters sleeping. Jason was tucked up in his room with Aerin and Everett dreaming above them. Billy was sleeping peacefully in his own bed across town, his grateful father sleeping down the hall. Tommy and Kimberly were curled around each other, sleeping the sleep of the hard-worked and exhausted. The Lightstar Rangers were all asleep in their separate bunks... for the first time in almost two years.

On the other side of the galaxy, however, a new character was not nearly so blessed. Having tossed and turned the entire last night through, gripped by nightmares that she couldn't recall upon waking, she'd been irritable and out-of-sorts all day. Wanting nothing more than to hole up in her rooms and sulk, she had not even listened to Ecliptor's suggestions that a fight with the Rangers might warm her blood. Normally she was quick to follow her long-time guardian's advice, but today she had felt unusually reticent. Her nightmares, as they so often did at this time of year, had unbalanced her completely and now she was finding that a night of interrupted sleep plus a day of being a slug-a-bed combined to make one quite unprepared to sleep the next night.

Finally giving it up as a complete loss, Astronema threw off her blankets and rose from her bed. Slipping on a simple, long-sleeved black dress, she padded barefoot out of her chambers and down the hall to the soft green glow of the bridge of the Dark Fortress. With no alien make-up hiding her features, no exuberantly colored wig to hide the tawny gold of her hair and no adornment but the locket that was the only thing she possessed of her former life, Astronema looked almost human. She didn't often dare wander about the Dark Fortress so dressed, but tonight it felt right, though she couldn't have explained why.

So it was with complete dismay that she realized that the one being on board who should not see her thus was the sole occupant of the bridge. And he was sitting in her chair. Her fist clenched at her side, Astronema spat out his name like a bad taste in her mouth, "Darkonda."

He turned to face her, a sinister smile on his reptilian features, "Why, Princess! I hardly recognized you. If it weren't for those eyes..." He paused, smile widening, "...I'd have taken you for a human."

Narrowing those inhumanly cold eyes, the promise of a world of hurt laid out in them, Astronema stepped up next to her command chair to glare down at Darkonda. She would not be intimidated, not by the likes of him and especially not on her own bridge, "It's unfortunate for you that I am nothing of the kind. You will remove yourself from my chair and my presence, Darkonda. I have no patience for you this night."

The reptilian monster, far from cowed, nonetheless stood up and waved her down into her chair, "As you wish, my Princess. Let it not be said that I disobeyed orders." Turning to leave, he tossed only one parting shot over his shoulder, "By the way, Princess... you're looking paler than usual. How have you been sleeping?"

Astronema only dignified that response with a low growl. Chuckling the whole way, as though at a punch line only he understood, Darkonda finally left her alone. Astronema sighed as she relaxed her posture. The creature was useful on occasion, but he was such a trial to her. She never quite knew what he was thinking and she knew she couldn't trust him. Unfortunately, she needed him. He presented solutions to too many problems that were otherwise unsolvable. But that didn't mean she had to like him.

Full of the melancholy of the last few days, Astronema pulled off her locket and gently opened it. It was the only remnant she had of the life she had lived before she was "Astronema" and the only image she had of her lost twin. They'd been so very young when he died... when the Rangers had killed him. It wasn't fair. They'd been so innocent and they hadn't been hurting anyone. What had he done to deserve that fate?

She brushed her fingers over the old portrait, cataloging each feature they passed. She knew them all by heart, anyway: the hair that matched her own tawny gold, only with the colors separated out into wider bands; the warm earth-brown color of his eyes; the innocent, happy smile... He'd never had the chance to grow into the handsome face that should have been his, never had a chance to grow into the power and charisma that she somehow knew he would have possessed. He'd had all that promise taken away from him when he was only three. She hated those who had done it, wanted to see them all destroyed. And she would. Starting tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
> Again... just not up for chibi-silliness today. Still drained from yesterday. The legal system sucks. :-P
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, ruby red grapefruit?
> 
> _Coming Soon:_ All hands on deck! In which all the other Rangers get first-hand experience with exactly how screwed up Andros is and we learn why it is very bad when Astronema doesn't get a full night's sleep. Poor Rangers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 16, 2010:_** So, this is the first official "new" part of the fic. ^_^ And this is also the first scene where we have _every single one_ of the Rangers in one place. O_O I felt like I was trying to corral a flock of demented sheep after this chapter. 19 Rangers in one story... what the hell was I thinking? Still, this chapter was a hell of a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Reviews...? Reviews for the poor...? :-P OK, I'll shut up about it, now...

Jolting awake to the sound of the Red Alert klaxon was decidedly _not_ Zhane's favorite way to get up in the morning. And on this particular morning, he was in no mood for this. Fighting his way out of the blankets, he yelled for an explanation, "DECA! What the hell's going on?"

DECA's soothing alto voice sounded just a bit more harried than usual as she replied, "Alpha and I have detected six monsters in Angel Grove: three in the downtown vicinity, one in the warehouse district and two in the park. The others have been alerted as well and are on their way to the Jump Tubes."

Swearing up a storm, Zhane started pulling on his clothes. Six monsters? What the hell was the Dark Princess _thinking_? Had the whole world suddenly gone mad? In truth, Zhane had always feared what would happen if one of Dark Spectre's minions did exactly what Astronema was trying right now. Of everyone on the team, only he and Andros had the power and training to take down a monster on their own and it was far from a sure thing that even they could. To expect each of the others to do the same? Preposterous. _Well, Lady Aerin... looks like we'll be calling on you sooner than expected..._

When Zhane reached the Glider Bay, he discovered that he had not been the only one to have had that thought. Andros was speaking into an old-fashioned communicator, requesting assistance of someone named Kimberly. Kimberly? Wait... that was the name of the Pink Earth Ranger! He stepped up to join the group just in time to hear Andros cut off communications.

As though sensing his arrival, Andros jerked his eyes up to meet Zhane's. For just a moment, there was a panorama of pain visible in those eyes, but it shut down quickly. There would be no thought spared for his own anguish until the current crisis had been dealt with. Nodding at the Silver Ranger, he merely said, "I had occasion to meet up with two of the Earth Rangers yesterday. They offered assistance. Given the current dire odds, they have agreed to help and to contact the Zeo Ranger team, as well. With the Ninja and Thunderzords' more agile nature and the Darkstar Rangers currently at their disposal, they will handle the three monsters downtown, the Zeo Rangers will take the one in the warehouse district and we will take the two in the park." Turning to include the rest of the team in the next instructions, he finished with, "Is everyone clear on the plan?" As everyone nodded, he leapt up to the jump platform, "Then may the Power protect us all. We need to beat this stratagem severely enough that no one attempts it again. It is fortunate that we have three Ranger teams at our disposal today. We won't always be so lucky. Let's Rocket!" With that last battle cry, Andros disappeared down the Jump Tubes, the rest of his team hot on his heels.

* * *

Jason had more than a few choice words as he and his mother sprinted full out to join up with the rest of their team. This whole situation was maddening. One of the monsters rampaging downtown apparently had the ability to block a teleport. They had been less than pleased to discover themselves barred from the vicinity of the fight and had been forced to redirect their teleport to the outskirts of the downtown city limit. Calls from Billy and the rest of the Earth team confirmed that they were having similar trouble. Jason didn't slow his sprint, but did turn his head towards the Green Ranger, "Tell me that if we beat these things into next week, they'll give up on this tactic."

Aerin, her attention still focused forward simply said, "If we beat these things into next week, they'll give up on this tactic."

Though she couldn't see his face through the helmet, Aerin could sense her son's frown as he answered, "Right. Now tell me you believe even one word of what you just repeated back at me."

A short huff of laughter, "I wish I knew, Jason. Back in my day our enemies were sane. They didn't pull this kind of crap." Finally turning her head in her son's direction, she added, "Maybe she's having a bad hair day?"

A throaty chuckle from off to their left announced Kimberly and Tommy's arrival, "A bad hair day, Aerin? Remind me to try that excuse next time _I_ want to go on a little rampage."

Aerin just laughed, "Will do, Kim." She then leaned forward to include the younger Green Ranger in their friendly banter, "Tommy you want that reminder, too?"

Tommy didn't even dignify that with a response, he just shook his head and picked up the pace. Kim laughed again, "No fun, I tell you. No fun at all." Then she let out a frustrated half-scream as she saw the flashes of Yellow, Navy and Platinum up ahead and heard their battle cries, "Aw, man! They beat us here! Come on, guys -- before there's nothing left!"

Jason couldn't help but laugh in response, "Well, you heard the lady!" Seconds later there was no more time for banter as they all leapt into the fray.

* * *

_Well... It's a good thing there are never many people down here..._ Aisha thought as she watched yet another gout of flame go shooting past. Though they only had the one monster to handle, Astronema had sent it down with a veritable army of Quantrons, including a few Velocifighters. _This is ridiculous!_ Clearing a path around her, the Red Zeo Ranger called on her team, "OK, guys! Time to regroup! We can't let them split us all off like this! Zeo Rangers to me!"

She was a little ashamed to admit that with the Turbo Rangers around last year, they'd gotten a little lax in their training regimen. Amazingly enough, of all of them, Justin was the least out of shape. Then again, she had loaned him to TJ to help keep the zords in repair and to round out the Turbo team after the others had left. And even though the Zeo Rangers volunteered, TJ and the others never seemed to need their help. Well, at least Rocky worked in a martial arts dojo as his day job... She winced as Kat was thrown back from her attempt to engage the monster, hitting the pavement hard. Apparently ballet dancing wasn't enough to keep in fighting form. It was times like this that she cursed her inexperience as a Leader. She should have known better!

Tanya stepped up next to her and elbowed her in the side, "Enough, Aisha!" Aisha having once been a Yellow Ranger, herself, often found that Tanya's kindred mind provided a much needed ground for her lack of confidence. In truth, Aisha had done a good job leading the Zeo team, and she was so vehement in her support of them that they never doubted their own abilities, but when it came to her own... Tanya often found her in need of a little reassurance. Once she had her Leader's attention, she continued, "I recognize that droopy posture. It is not your fault that we're a bit out of practice. It's our own. Well, lesson learned. In the future, I'm sure you'll organize us a brutal training regimen. For now, however, we need to focus on the fight. I'm sure this thing has a weak spot, we just have to find it and exploit it, OK?"

Aisha offered the other girl a brilliant smile from behind her helmet. Trust Tanya to know exactly what she needed to hear. She nodded, "Thanks, Tanya. You're right. Let's take this thing down!"

Finally hearing that exuberant confidence in their Leader's voice, the Zeo Rangers shared a fierce grin. It was time to take out the trash.

* * *

Three hours later (and a few million dollars in damages), the exhausted Ranger teams met up in the park. The Earth and Darkstar Rangers, having had the toughest fight by far, all but fell over as they reached the others. The Zeo Rangers, though they had had an easier fight, were nearly in as bad a way. The Earthborn Lightstar Rangers weren't much better off. In fact, within minutes of everyone's arrival in the park, only Zhane, Andros, Aerin, Jason and Tommy were still standing. They looked around at their heavily puffing teams with expressions ranging from sympathy to annoyance. Jason was the one who said it, "Good grief, I hope we never have to do that again!"

A chorus of "Amens", followed by some exhausted laughter was the Rangers' only response.

Though relieved to have the fight over with, Andros shifted uneasily from foot to foot. Unsurprisingly, the sight of 19 Power Rangers in Angel Grove Park was starting to draw a crowd. Zhane picked up on his distress and leaned over to whisper to the Green Darkstar Ranger, "Aerin... I know everyone's exhausted, but I really think we need to relocate. We're going to draw too much attention here. The last thing we need is to get mobbed."

She nodded, "Agreed. You're all welcome in my home... but even my living room isn't big enough to hold all of us comfortably."

Before Zhane could even ponder the issue, Andros supplied the answer, "We'll head up to the AstroMegaship. The Simudeck can hold us all easily."

Zhane laughed, "Yeah. What he said. We can teleport up in groups of six. I don't think the system can handle more than that at once."

Billy looked up from his spot on the ground, falling back into techno-speak due to his own mental exhaustion, "I was certain that the technical schematics indicated otherwise. If you have no objection, I will endeavor to ascertain if there is a malfunction once we have reached a consensus on a further strategy."

Before anyone could even get up the breath to ask him what the heck he meant, Trini sighed and began to speak, "What he means to say is--"

And that was as far as she got. Andros waved her silent, "I understood what he said, Yellow Ranger. I'm grateful for any assistance he cares to give. Lightstar Rangers, it's time to move out."

Once they were gone, Jason shook his head, "That boy needs to _relax_."

As everyone else laughed, Kim leaned over and tapped Trini's shoulder with a perplexed expression. Too busy laughing herself, however, she failed to reply. Seeing her confused look, Justin took pity on her, "What he said was that the plans for the ship show that it should be able to teleport more than six Rangers at once and he'd be happy to look into it once we've all agreed on what we're gonna do next."

"Oh!" Turning to look accusingly at Billy, she added, "Well, why didn't you just say so?"

Billy hung his head and muttered grumpily, "I _did_."

Through another round of laughter, Aerin gathered up her moping teammate, her son, Trini, Tommy, Kim and Zack and sent them up to the Megaship. "Good grief... at this rate we'll _never_ get anything done." After sending up Adam with the Zeo Rangers and one last survey of the Park, Aerin finally teleported after them.

* * *

Of course it had been Zhane's idea to turn the Simudeck into a copy of the park they'd just left -- complete with picnic blankets, baskets and replicated food. Andros generally frowned on such frivolity, but relented when he noted the increase in morale among all the teams when they saw what the Silver Ranger had planned. Everyone demorphed and settled in groups on the brightly colored blankets. Andros remained standing.

Looking out at those assembled, he couldn't help but feel a sense of... Moment. It was rare, indeed, that this many Rangers -- born to the Power or otherwise -- met in one place. And what they'd accomplished together... He was still somewhat in awe. He was forced to reevaluate his opinion from that long ago day when he'd met his current team. If all the Rangers across the Universe could band together like this, Dark Spectre's minions, no matter how many he gathered, wouldn't stand a chance. For the first time in years, it gave him hope.

Once everyone was settled in and the chatter had dwindled down, he cleared his throat. They all turned to look at him. Well, start simple, "I can't thank you all enough for your assistance today. Without you, we could never have prevailed."

There was a chorus of "Not true's" and "You'd have found a way's" from the rest of the Rangers, but Andros waved his hand to cut them off, "While I and my team appreciate your votes of confidence, let's face facts. It is hard enough to take down one monster, let alone six. We'd have been in dire straits without your assistance."

Andros turned to take in all the faces spread out before him and suddenly had occasion to note how _young_ they all looked. Examining that thought more closely, he had another jolt when he realized that, with the sole exceptions of Aerin and Zhane, he was the oldest of the Rangers gathered here. And he and Zhane had begun fighting when they were just adolescents. It made him wonder, not for the first time, if the guiding force behind the Power was mad. He caught Aerin's eye and she saluted him with her glass, an ironically bemused expression on her face as she guessed the cause for his staring. Of course... She'd been recruited to fight when she was just over 300 years old -- among her race, that was the emotional equivalent of a 12 year old. No wonder she hadn't protested Justin's involvement.

Shaking off those useless thoughts, he continued, "Unfortunately, now that we have just shown how well we work together as a group, I fear I must ask us to separate." After the murmurs died down he explained, "I had occasion to discuss tactics with Kimberly last night." Of course that wasn't _all_ they'd discussed, but he certainly didn't want to air that dirty laundry here... in front of Zhane, "As I explained to her, our largest problem in this fight is that Astronema knows that she can disrupt all of our most carefully laid plans by sending us running across the galaxy every other week to protect our respective home worlds. We wouldn't have this problem if Earth and KO-35 had protectors. Now that you are all back, Earth, at least, has a reliable defense team. KO-35, on the other hand, does not."

Billy raised a hand to get his attention, "Andros, I don't understand. Why does KO-35 not have a Ranger team of its own? I thought every planet had one."

Andros nodded, very much subdued, "That is usually true..." Taking in everyone's confused looks, he asked, "How much do you know about the origins of the Power Rangers?"

The Earth Rangers all looked at each other. Trini finally offered, "Dulcea taught us some of the legends while we were on Phaedos, but even in a year, she couldn't cover everything." He motioned for her to continue. She settled back, trying to recall, "In the beginning, the Universe was much smaller, its people closer, far less spread out. What Evil existed was easily contained by the people of each settlement. But as people started to spread out, to colonize other worlds, Evil grew as well. The first Ranger team was formed on Phaedos. I think they were the Ninja Rangers..." She let her voice lilt upwards, uncertain if that was correct.

Andros nodded, "The Ninja Rangers were first, the Zeo Rangers followed them. There were several other primitive teams after that before the current system was developed. One team for each planet and colony and one team to act as a communication link between all the others." A deep breath, "When a new planet is colonized, it takes time for a Ranger team to be born. The colony has to develop its own distinct culture and personality before the Morphing Grid can settle around it to call its Rangers. Sometimes that takes years, more often than not decades, and sometimes even centuries. My own home colony is actually a much younger colony than you probably think, and its Ranger team has been slow to form."

"But what about my mother and her team? Weren't most of them from KO-35?" That came from Jason.

Aerin was the one who supplied the answer to that one, "Most of us may have been from KO-35, but we were still a Space Team. We weren't a Kerovan team, no matter how much their ruling government tried to make us one."

Andros nodded, "KO-35 is a colony made up of many races, several of which have been sources for the Space team over the years. The problem is that KO-35, itself, while a valuable resource for the non-aligned teams, has not been united enough, thus far, to birth its own Ranger team."

Aisha frowned, "Then wouldn't it make more sense to just find the team that _should_ be protecting KO-35?"

Andros turned his face away from her, pausing as though contemplating what to say in response. He finally settled on, "That would be true, except for one problem. The remaining colonists of KO-35 fled the planet after Dark Spectre's attack. Even I don't know where they've gone."

Aerin frowned. There was far more to the story than that. It wasn't simply a problem of finding those Rangers. They needed to be taken to Phaedos to secure the roots of their Power, all five together... And there was only one reason to leave out that information. Only one reason that made sense: Andros might not know where the colonists were, but he _did_ know who the Kerovan Rangers were supposed to be... and they weren't all with the colonists. She decided to force it out in the open, "And even if we were to do so, we would need to find all five of those Rangers to secure their Power so that they could morph. Andros, I take it you know who they are?"

The Red Ranger jerked as though slapped and he turned haunted eyes on the older Ranger as he spoke, "I do. I know them all. I've known them for years."

As she'd suspected, "And they know that you know?"

A nod, "It has caused... certain frictions between us. But the fact remains that we can't do anything about it."

The rest of the Rangers were watching this new interplay like a tennis match, feeling the undercurrents of the conversation, but not understanding. Aerin frowned, "Why not? If you know who they are, all we need to do is search the morphing grid to find them. That should lead us to the colonists, we can drop the Zeo Rangers off to watch them while we take their Rangers to Phaedos and _Voila_ , problem solved."

Voice getting gruff and posture hunching, Andros got this out, "It isn't that simple, Lady Aerin. I wish it was."

And it nearly killed Aerin to see it, but Zhane was the one to step up and put a hand on Andros' shoulder, "Tell us the rest, Andros. We can't help if you don't."

It took another long moment before Andros could bring himself to speak, just seven words... but they changed everything, "Their Red Ranger should have been Karone." Then he whirled away from them all and marched off into the wooded area of the Simudeck park.

Aerin and Zhane's eyes met and she managed to sum up their feelings in two words: "Well... **Fuck**."

* * *

Zhane stared after Andros' retreating back and wondered exactly which god of fate they had pissed off that week. He put a hand to his head and began massaging his temples. This just kept getting better and better. It would be bad enough, having to deal with starting a new Ranger team at the current time. Trying to start one minus their Red Ranger? Impossible. And not to mention that it wasn't as if they hadn't been trying to find Karone. Andros had spent 17 years already on that very mission. Not only had finding her been nearly impossible, but Andros guarded that search jealously and wouldn't want anyone else interfering. At least the reason for her kidnapping now became a little clearer. With her gone, KO-35 would have no Ranger team until the next generation could be Called, leaving them extremely vulnerable to Dark Spectre. And it had worked.

The other Rangers were already deep in discussion with new plans to search for Karone. He raised a hand to get their attention. This he would have to halt in its tracks -- after all, hurt me once, shame on you. Hurt me twice... shame on me. And he'd been burned by this particular pain a few times too often already. Once he had everyone's attention, he said simply, "I hate to be the one to throw a wrench into this planning session, but Andros will _not_ welcome more hands in the middle of this." Left unspoken was what had happened to _him_ \-- allegedly the person that Andros cared most about next to his lost twin -- when he had last tried to interfere, "He already has this 'search for Karone' thing down to a science, and in truth, it's almost a moot point. It would be _nice_ to have the Kerovan Rangers available to watch KO-35, but it isn't _necessary_. We have an available team to do it, and to be brutally honest, we can't waste the time right now." Andros had understood that and had allowed the other Kerovan Rangers to use him as a scapegoat for their hatred and frustration because of it. He probably felt he deserved it. But at this point, the damage was already done. He'd just have to hope that eventually they'd be able to fix that PR disaster...

The other Lightstar Rangers stared at Zhane, astonished. It was so easy to forget that, like so many Rangers, he'd essentially been raised as a soldier. It was equally easy to forget that, like Andros, he could get a little mission obsessed. He was so fun-loving, so easy-going at heart... it was only at times like these when he coldly and forcibly reminded them of it that they remembered. They weren't just talking about a tactical situation, here -- they were talking about finding his lover's long-lost twin! This was the very issue that had caused his and Andros' fight just yesterday. It was eye-opening to see the extent to which even Zhane could force his own emotions into the background to deal with the mission at hand. It was almost scary.

Ashley was, predictably, the one who objected, "But, Zhane... this is Andros' sister we're talking about! We should do our best to help him find her."

Zhane sighed, "Ashley... I understand where you're coming from, believe me I do, but this isn't the most important problem we're facing right now. And it isn't as though we haven't been looking for Karone. Andros has spent the better part of 17 years doing exactly that. This isn't a new problem to him, even though it is to you." Funny how he could so fully support Andros' right to keep this obsession to himself when just yesterday, he'd been fighting to get him to share it...

Aerin sighed, "Ashley, I'm afraid I have to agree with Zhane. This is almost academic at this point. As long as we have a Ranger team to protect both worlds, starting a new Kerovan team will just have to wait until we can devote time to the search." She turned towards Aisha, "But that really depends on you. Will you and your team be willing to take this on? It'll leave you alone on an abandoned world for an unknown duration..."

Aisha looked at each of her teammates in turn. Kat had graduated high school and had yet to decide on whether to pursue college or a career. The same was true of Tanya. Rocky had his job at the dojo, but should be able to take a sabbatical without too many questions being raised. Aisha herself wasn't even "officially" back from Africa, thanks to Aunt Aschala. They could all get away with little to no fuss. In truth, she had a feeling they had all anticipated Ranger business getting in the way with the smooth progression of their lives and had deliberately left themselves available. The only one who would have a real problem was Justin. He was so young to ask this much of him...

Before she even had a chance to voice her opinion, however, the young Green Zeo Ranger beat her to it, "Aisha, if you even think of leaving me out of this, I'll give your zord a computer virus before you go."

Tanya and Kat started to laugh and Rocky placed the younger boy in a headlock, "Have some respect for your elders, kid!"

Letting out a small chuckle, Aisha shook her head, "Well, on the upside, it'll give us plenty of time to practice..."

Aerin smiled, "Good. Then if that's settled, why don't you all enjoy your picnic, and I'll see what I can do to get Andros out of the mood he's in." The Silver Ranger looked like he might object, but Aerin ran right over him with a quiet, "Zhane, let me handle him for once. I think you've taken enough of his grief for one week. Don't you?"

Zhane could only meet her eyes for a moment before he looked away and slowly nodded, "All right. I suppose I can let you run interference for me... just this once."

Aerin beamed him a smile as she got up, "Good. Glad that's settled." With no further ceremony than that, she went off to find the wayward Red Ranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Jason: *thud* Oh, good grief... tell me we won't ever have to do that again. Between the fighting and the emotional angst, I'm not sure I can take much more...
> 
> R-chan: *wince* Then I don't think I'm gonna tell you about the next chapter.
> 
> Jason: O_O Why? What happens in the next chapter? O_O
> 
> R-chan: *innocent whistle* Oh... nothing. Not really... Eh-heh...
> 
> Jason: O_O *lil' voice* Why do I feel this sudden need to go hide under my bed?
> 
> Trini: *smirks* No, no, Jason. In the closet.
> 
> Jason: O_O OK... now I'm really scared.
> 
> R-chan: *eg* *mimicking Yoda* You will be... You will be.
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, cantaloupe?
> 
> _Coming Soon:_ The Space Rangers have taken off for parts unknown, leaving the Earth Rangers behind to guard the planet. But something is wrong... and only Trini seems to notice. Fortunately, she won't let go until she's gotten to the bottom of things.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 17, 2010:_** Yeah! Fully back in Earth Ranger territory! ^_^ It's all about our favorite old time Rangers this chapter. Good, old Billy, Trini, Kim moments. ^_^ Enjoy!

It had only been a few days since the Zeo and Lightstar Rangers had left for KO-35, but Jason already felt lonely. After so long without his friend, he had reveled in having Billy by his side for an entire year. To suddenly have him so far away felt... odd. He had tried spending time with his father, but Everett Scott was all but moping around the house -- not that he could blame the man. After all, his wife and son had only just returned home and now Aerin had again taken off for planets unknown. Ironically, Jason felt much the same way without Billy around. Between the two of them, it made for one depressing atmosphere.

Tommy had tried to step in and alleviate some of his loneliness, but it wasn't quite the same and the Green Ranger knew it. As close as he was to Tommy, Billy had always held as a special place in Jason's heart. He had been Jason's first real friend and no matter how much Tommy might wish he could take Billy's place... he couldn't. He could feel Tommy's frustration with his own inability to cheer Jason up and wished he could say something reassuring, but every attempt he made fell flat. Zack had already given up trying and Kimberly... well, Kim was so happy having been able to reclaim any part of her life that Jason didn't have the heart to put any kind of a damper on it.

The one person that he felt could understand, however, was also the person he felt least comfortable discussing the situation with. Trini missed Billy just as badly as he did, Jason was sure. He'd felt her pain as keenly as he'd felt his own when the Platinum Ranger had announced that he would be joining Aerin in space. And that very similarity was why he didn't feel comfortable talking to her. He was starting to be afraid that maybe... just maybe... they might be missing Billy for the same reason.

It had come upon him so quietly, so slowly... it had really caught him unaware. At first, he'd just been happy that he had been able to bring Billy out of his depression, given him a reason to feel happy and useful again. Then once the other man had regained his confidence and started putting his new Powers to the test, Jason not only been happy, he'd been proud. This strong, confident and brave leader was _his_ friend and Jason had helped him get to where he was. The new Platinum Ranger was a force to be reckoned with, even Aerin agreed with that. And once that change had settled and Jason had truly had a chance to watch his friend in action... he found that he was feeling something new. He _admired_ Billy.

The Wolf-guided Ranger was grace in both motion and thought and his fighting ability had improved astronomically during their time on Phaedos. Always before, Jason had felt that the friendship between them was clearly defined with Jason the leader and Billy the follower. That had now shifted to put them on more equal footing and Jason wasn't quite sure when it had happened. However, he had to admit he was glad of the change. Now, he felt that if _he_ needed someone to lean on, he could lean on Billy... and Billy could take it.

That realization was both thrilling and unnerving. It upset the delicate balance that the two had set years ago and put thoughts into his head that he wasn't sure what to do with. And that made him feel doubly awkward around Trini because, unlike Jason, she had _always_ seen this side of Billy. It shamed him that it had taken the outward changes to make him do the same. So, he avoided her. Which wasn't going to work for much longer because this _was_ Trini he was talking about. She was quick and she was clever and she'd probably already figured out that he was tying himself up in knots over something. It was only a matter of time before she sought him out. He just prayed that he'd have figured out what to say to her by the time she did.

* * *

The Yellow Ranger couldn't help but sigh as she sat at Ernie's Juice Bar and watched Kimberly with her newest band of Gold medal-hungry gymnasts. She was happy that her friend had found some measure of peace doing something she loved. Really, she was. Kim had had a hard go of it over the last year. She hadn't wanted to tell her best friend at first, but Trini had been patient and eventually coaxed the story out of her. She had been mortified that Kim had gone through such horrible experiences and hadn't told her -- and worse, that Trini hadn't even guessed that something was wrong. Fortunately, Kimberly knew her best friend well and hadn't allowed her to dwell overly long on her guilt, had instead forced her to focus on how happy Kim was now and how well things had all turned out. Trini had never much accepted the argument of the ends justifying the means, but Kim was persistent and Trini had reluctantly let go of her guilt.

It had been hard this last month, settling back into their lives after so long away. Kim, Zack and Trini had, ironically enough, had the easiest time of it. After all, they'd been gone from Angel Grove for longer than this year. They would have had to start over anyway. Zack had gotten a job at a local dance studio, spending half his time teaching and half his time dancing professionally. Trini had enrolled at Angel Grove University, taking classes part-time and using the remaining time to teach a self-defense class at Ernie's. Tommy had been at loose ends in the beginning, but had recently managed to find a place for himself by offering to take over for Rocky at the dojo until he came back. They all had found that they were happiest when teaching others, helping them to find confidence in themselves.

And that brought her to the last member of their group -- or perhaps she should say the first -- and the reason for the sighing. Jason, their oh-so-fearless Leader, had yet to find a new place for himself in Angel Grove. When he had first come back to take on the Gold Ranger powers, he had been able to resume his final year at Angel Grove High. Now, though, that was over. They were no longer in high school and, of all of them, only Trini had decided to pursue any higher education. They might all go back eventually, but she thought that for now, they were feeling the pressure of being active Rangers again for the first time in too long. The others didn't feel up to the added burden of keeping up with classes. Jason was no exception, but he had yet to find a job to help pass the time, either. That left him without purpose and too often alone. It wasn't healthy. She was going to have to talk to him eventually.

Mind made up, Trini turned her attention back to her friend. Kim had just finished up with her class and bounded up the stairs to join Trini at the bar. She eyed the Yellow Ranger with a critical look, then shook her head, "OK, Trini. You're better at this than I am, so you'll have to forgive my being blunt. Why the long face?"

Trini's mouth stretched into a smile. How much she'd missed having a friend who knew her so well! Too bad she didn't feel like sharing. She answered, "Nothing in particular."

Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say. Kim's eyes narrowed and her lips pulled down into a frown. One thing Trini had to admit -- Kim's time on the streets had done wonders for her powers of observation and perception. It was getting harder and harder to hide things from her formerly oblivious friend. Kim said simply, "I think we both know that's not true. Now, if I were to guess, I'd have to say that your moping has something to do with Billy leaving. Am I right?" A bright smile accompanied that last question.

Though she didn't really want to, Trini couldn't help but laugh. No matter how things changed, they really did stay the same. The first thought in Kimberly's mind was often boys. And in a way she was right -- this was about a boy. It just wasn't about _that_ boy, "No, Kim. It's not about Billy. Yes, I do miss him... but that's not what I was thinking about."

Kim frowned, thoughtful, "Well, if it isn't about Billy... Is it about Jason?"

OK... that startled her. In spite of constant evidence to the contrary, on some level, Trini still expected her friend to be flighty and just a little bit self-centered and shallow. She kept forgetting that Kim was now anything but. Her friend had grown up. She took a sip of her smoothie to hide her discomfort, "What makes you say that?"

The Pink Ranger just smiled, "Hit the nail on the head, did I?"

Trini let out a good-natured laugh before answering, "Yes, I'm thinking about Jason. I don't like how he sits around the house all day, joining his father in that... mope-fest. He needs to get out and _do_ something!" She dropped her voice to a whisper, "At this point even a monster attack would be helpful!"

A quiet nod met that last comment, "I know what you mean. Even those of us that have something to do are getting a little stir crazy. I guess we all figured that once we were 'officially' back, it would be right back to monster-of-the-week. I keep feeling like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Trini nodded, "Exactly! And Jason seems to be taking it worse than the rest of us. Maybe because he's the 'Leader', he feels like this should be all he does..."

The Pink Ranger shook her head, "But that's stupid! It doesn't work that way here on Earth and he should know that by now. Trini..." A slight pause, "Maybe you should go talk to him?"

"You know, Kim... I think that's a great idea," was Trini's answer as the light of a challenge fired up in her eyes. She would get out of their Red Ranger what was bothering him... if she had to kill one of them to do it!

* * *

Jason was anything but pleased when his father knocked on the door to his room to tell him that he had a visitor. Kim was teaching classes at Ernie's, Tommy was teaching classes at the dojo, Zack had a video shoot lined up for today... which left only one person that would be coming around to visit. And he still hadn't thought of a single thing to say to her. He was desperately trying to come up with something right up to the moment when she walked up to his bedroom door and knocked on the door frame with a gentle smile, "Is this a private reverie or can anyone join?"

With a purely mental sigh, Jason pasted a smile of his own on his face and gestured for Trini to take a seat, "Not at all, Trini. Please, feel free."

The Yellow Ranger crossed the room to settle down on the couch. Right away, Jason noticed that something was off. Unlike the confident exterior she usually sported, today she looked almost nervous. Hell, she was _fidgeting_. Trini didn't fidget. Usually there wasn't a single wasted motion or wasted word in her arsenal. It put Jason even more on edge than he had been.

_It shouldn't be so hard to hold a conversation with a friend,_ he couldn't help but think. It shouldn't be so hard to say something real, to speak words that meant something. It shouldn't be so hard to share a simple truth. It really shouldn't. But somehow, it was.

It was hard because this so simple truth could destroy something far simpler and far more precious: a friendship. This friendship had stood the test of time, had weathered the winds of junior high and the storms of high school as well as the many trials and challenges they'd faced at the Peace Conference and as Rangers. But somehow Jason wasn't sure it could weather this.

After several minutes of sitting and staring at each other, several minutes of trying to ignore the very large pink elephant that they both knew was in the room, Trini moved off the couch to sit next to him on the bed. She rested a gentle hand on Jason's shoulder, "Whatever the cause, a burden is usually less so when shared, Jason."

A bitter laugh escaped his lips before he could stop it. Ignoring her startled look, Jason shook his head, "Not this burden Trini... trust me."

Trini crossed her arms over her chest, frustrated at being rebuffed. Normally by the time she got around to confronting Jason about whatever mood he was in, he would drop any pretense of everything being OK and tell her what she needed to know to fix the situation. This was the first time that he had proved so reticent. Even now, when they both knew something was wrong, he was refusing to talk. It was maddening. So what could possibly be the cause of this much strife? What could possibly be so horrifying to their Red Ranger that he would refuse her offer of help?

In a moment of blinding clarity, Trini finally understood. _Well, Kim... it looks like you were right, after all..._ She turned to Jason and offered him as sympathetic a look as she could, then stated her suspicion as fact, "This is about Billy."

Even though she was no psychic, there was no way that Trini could have missed the flare of panic in her friend's eyes. He jerked off the bed and across the room, a blush that nearly matched his tee-shirt staining his cheeks, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Trini."

_Of course you don't..._ Trini shook her head, "Yes, I think you do." She took a deep breath and plunged on ahead, "It's OK to miss him, Jason. We all do. It's been hard on all of us that even though he's back, he isn't back with _us_. This recent separation just drove that home. It's completely understandable that you're upset about it."

Jason looked away, unable to meet her eyes any longer. Some inner voice was prompting him to let her think that that was everything. It would be so easy and it would get him off the hook in more ways than one. Just let her think that he missed having Billy as part of the team and step back from this craziness before it was too late. Except... he couldn't do that. He couldn't lie to Trini. He never could. Bowing his head to the inevitable and praying that he wasn't about to rip his team apart so soon after it had been rebuilt, he said, "It's not just the missing him, Trini. I think you know that."

_Well... that's a surprise. After all that blowing smoke, I didn't think he'd outright own up to it._ But this, at least, was more the Jason that she knew. He was caught and he knew it and he wouldn't try to duck around her anymore. But it was a surprise -- she had thought that Jason wasn't even _aware_ of why he was so upset... maybe there was more going on here than she'd thought. Well, best to let him tell her. She nodded, "I think I do, Jason. So why don't we get it out in the open between us."

Finally turning back to face her, Jason got the words out in a terrified whisper, "Sometime in this last year... I think I fell in love with Billy."

And there it was. She'd known about this for some time. She'd seen the beginnings of it when she and Zack had come back from the peace conference. There was a connection between the two old friends that had never been there before, an added layer of trust... a deeper level of feeling. In truth, she'd been wildly jealous at first. After all, she had only just acknowledged to herself that _she_ might be harboring feelings for the ex-Blue Ranger. But it wasn't in Trini's nature to be jealous, especially not of two of her closest friends. So, she had stepped back and watched and waited. She had to know if there was anything between them before she said anything about it. If there was, then she would just let time take its course -- with a little help, naturally -- and if there wasn't, then she would step up and let Billy know about her own feelings.

It had taken more than a little willpower, however, not to interfere before it was time. She had found herself wanting to whack her head against a tree more than once while they were on Phaedos. Men in general were hopeless at relationships. _Two_ men on the other hand... it was a recipe for disaster. She had begun to think that neither one even knew they were courting the other. Well, now she knew that she had been right. Not only that, but now Billy's fleeing into space with Aerin and the Lightstar Rangers made sense. He didn't want to get caught between she and Jason, his two best friends, and he desperately didn't want to make either of them unhappy. If he had figured out that this little dance between he and Jason meant more than just friendship... it explained why he had cut and run the way he had.

Well, now having proof right in front of her that both boys felt the same way, it wouldn't be right of her to throw her own feelings into the mix. She was sad, really, that she hadn't said something sooner... but it might just be for the best. Jason and Billy had always been good for each other and now that Billy had stepped up to his own sense of responsibility and purpose, they would balance each other well. And she had faith that she would find someone of her own eventually. She would just have to be patient.

Resolve set, she gave Jason a smile of true happiness as she delivered the coup de grace, "And here I thought you'd _never_ figure that out!"

As for Jason... he stared at her like she'd just jumped up on a table and started spouting Chinese poetry, "You... you... **what**??"

Really... this was almost fun. Trini stood up from the bed and moved over to stand in front of Jason, "You've both been pussy-footing around this for over a year. To be honest, I thought I was going to have to step in and give you both a good hard shove." Unable to stand the utterly poleaxed expression on her friend's face, Trini raised a hand to his cheek and forced him to meet her eyes, "Jason, this isn't something you should be ashamed of or scared of. This is something you should be happy about."

Jason took that hand in one of his and lowered it from his face, brown eyes searching Trini's black ones, "You can't honestly mean that you don't mind. Trini, you _can't_."

Before she could even begin to claim exactly that, Jason ran right over her with a quiet, "Trini, please remember that I'm an Empath."

Oh... whoops. Trini looked away, unable to bear the intensity in the Red Ranger's eyes. She was embarrassed to admit it, but she _had_ forgotten. In the heat of the moment, in doing her best to do the right thing for all of them, she had forgotten the one thing that she shouldn't have. That when it came to everyone else's happiness compared to his own, Jason was the only person on their team more self-sacrificing than she. And it made so many things make sense. He _had_ figured out that he loved Billy. He just hadn't said anything because he knew _she_ did, as well. She sighed, "Well... there went that easy fix."

To her surprise, Jason laughed. It startled her so much and his laugh was so infectious, that she found herself laughing right along with him. When they finally sobered up enough to speak again, she said, "Really Jason, I don't mind. I think you'd both be good for each other." Jason made as though to interrupt but she held up a hand and shook her head, "I won't deny my feelings for him, Jason. You're right enough about that. But... more important than how I feel is how _he_ feels. And I know you've been resisting peeking because you think it's cheating..." Truthfully, she'd been uncertain that that was true until she saw his blush in response to her comment, "...but I can tell you this because I know him -- he fell in love with you, too."

The Red Ranger sat down heavily on the couch, confused once again, "But he was always talking about you like he had a crush. I always figured... Doesn't it make more sense for him to be with you?"

Trini sat down next to Jason and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "If by 'sense' you mean 'traditional', then yes, I suppose it does. But, 'traditionally' none of us would be running around in skin-tight body armor protecting the planet from monsters every week, either." That startled another laugh out of him. She continued, "Nothing about our lives to this point has been normal, Jason. Why should who we love be? Besides, you've hit the nail on the head. Regardless of my feelings for Billy, I think... no. I _know_ he doesn't feel that way for me. Yes, he had a crush and yes, he cares for me... but it isn't that kind of love. He just isn't experienced enough to know that yet and I think he got himself a little confused."

Understanding lit those deep brown orbs, "So he ran."

She nodded, "So he ran." She squeezed Jason's shoulders in a one-armed hug, "Give him time to get over the fear of the unknown. Give him time to come back and realize what he could have with you. Then we'll see what happens from there, OK?"

Jason looked down at the diminutive Asian girl who looked so deceptively fragile and felt a warm rush of gratitude. Why had he put this off for so long? He should have known better. Well, next time, he _would_ know better. And if Trini was so determined to put his happiness above her own... he'd just have to make it up to her by helping her to find her own happiness. That was a mission that he would gladly accept. He smiled and gave her a hug of his own, "OK, Trini. You're on!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Jason: *blinkblink* Well... that wasn't as painful as I thought it would be.
> 
> R-chan: *bright smile* See? I know what's best for you. *patpat*
> 
> Trini: *wistful sigh*
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, honeydew?
> 
> _Coming Soon:_ And back on the AstroMegaship... Andros is up to his usual solo-mission shenanigans and Zhane has finally had enough. Meanwhile, Astronema hatches an ingenious plot... except that it will be her ultimate downfall.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 18, 2010:_** *gasp* Oh my! It's Part 8! ^_~ You know, where I said that things finally start to get better... a little... -.-;;; Enjoy!

A few weeks later, things were not going as well on the AstroMegaship. Ashley stared across the table at the moping Silver Ranger. He'd been holding that spoonful of cereal halfway between his mouth and his bowl for the last three minutes. This was really getting ridiculous. It was bad enough that the two most experienced Rangers on the team had decided to pick now to have the universe's coldest feud, but for Andros to have run off in the middle of the night? This had to stop. She put her fork down and tapped Zhane on the wrist. He was so startled by this action that he dropped his spoon into the bowlful of cereal with a huge splash. Throwing an irritated glance her way, he started mopping up the spilled milk, "Something I can do for you, Ashley? Or did you just have a sudden sadistic desire to see me wear my breakfast?"

The yellow Ranger scowled right back, "Zhane it's been almost a week since we dropped the Zeo Rangers off on KO-35. It's been a month since you and Andros had that fight. And, if I don't miss my guess, the situation between you two is getting worse, not better. Are you even _trying_ to talk it out?"

A heavy sigh as Zhane paused in his wiping, "What do you think this whole fight has been about, Ashley?" Weary brown eyes raised to meet hers, "Andros doesn't talk about his problems. He just relies on me to do it for him. He always has. That's how we got into this situation to begin with. I can't keep doing it, Ashley. It isn't healthy for either of us. So, either he has to start figuring out a way to communicate with me without my help or our relationship won't survive." Zhane's normally warm expression glazed over with pain, cold and hard, "I can't keep going like this, Ashley. I wish I could, but I can't. We have to find another way and Andros doesn't do subtle. I tried. So, much as I don't like it and as inconvenient as I'm sure it is, throwing him in the proverbial deep end of the emotional pool was the only way I could see that I had a shot at fixing it." He paused, "Even if it kills both of us."

Fighting the urge to throw up her hands in exasperation, Ashley thought to herself, _At this rate, it may kill **all** of us!_ However, she forced herself to remain calm as she answered Zhane, "Still... for him to take off in the middle of the night like this... Zhane, this isn't good for anyone. We need to stick together, not go running off on our own."

Zhane let out a bitter chuckle, "Well, then you're in for a rude awakening, my dear. Andros pulls these sorts of stunts on a regular basis. Even when things are going perfectly, he still takes off on these little solo jaunts from time to time. In fact, I'll go you one further -- in spite of coincidences to the contrary, I'm sure that this had nothing to do with me and probably had everything to do with Karone. He does _not_ learn, Ashley."

Another voice piped up from the doorway, "Apparently he most emphatically does not. He really isn't rational where his sister is concerned, is he?"

Both turned to face the older Space Ranger as Aerin sat down at the table. Zhane shook his head, "No, ma'am, he certainly isn't. And I think that's the root of the problem."

She sighed as she started sprinkling salt and pepper on her eggs, "And to choose Onyx, of all places..."

Zhane shot up from his chair, eyes wild, "Wait a minute! He went **where**???"

Completely nonplussed, Aerin started in on her breakfast, "Onyx. Didn't DECA tell you?"

The Silver Ranger whipped eyes around to stare accusingly at DECA's "eye" in this room as he spat out, "No, she did not." He turned back to face the two female Rangers, and with as much control as he could muster said, "If you'll excuse me, ladies, it seems I have to go save my erstwhile boyfriend from his own stupidity." With that last biting comment, he stormed out of the room.

Ashley stared after him for a moment, then turned back to face the older woman with an accusatory stare, "You provoked him on purpose, didn't you?"

Aerin smiled as she took another bite of her eggs, "Sure did. He needed a swift kick in the ass."

The yellow ranger just gaped.

Aerin laughed, "Oh, the look on your face, child... It's just priceless." Putting down her fork, Aerin steepled her fingers in front of her, "The way I see it, Zhane is only mostly right. Andros does need to step up to the plate and learn how to communicate his feelings. But the part where he's wrong is that Andros is never going to learn to do it without a proper example. And the two of them have always been stronger together than apart. So..." she waved her hand in the direction of the glider bays.

The younger ranger just shook her head, "But isn't this just going to prompt them into another argument?"

A mischievous smile, "Indubitably. But at least then they'll be talking again."

Ashley shook her head in disbelief, "If this is how you treat your friends, Lady Aerin, I'd hate to be your enemy."

A beaming smile was her only response.

* * *

As much as he wanted to kick himself for not having figured this out sooner, Andros had to admit that it was fortunate that they'd been in this sector when he'd had this flash of insight. He'd taken out the security camera vid of Karone's kidnapping to watch it, yet again hoping to see something he'd missed, but he'd been unable to actually watch. Usually, he was forced to turn it off around the time that her screaming began because he couldn't stand to see her terrified face. This time, however, he'd let it run a little longer. That was when he'd heard it. The evil laughter of the one who'd taken her. Only now... now he knew that laugh. There was no mistaking it. And so, after following a dead trail for 17 years, he finally had the scent again. He would not lose it this time.

Hiding his Galaxy Glider in an alleyway, Andros pulled his brown cloak tight about his frame and pulled the cowl up high over his head. It would not do to be caught here -- Onyx was as dark a planet as could be found in this sector of the galaxy. It was a veritable den of pirates, smugglers, slave traders and evil-doers of every flavor and variety. He'd been here several times before, tracking down any and all leads that he could, though that was not a fact he shared with many people. The reality was, though... in many ways, he felt more at home here among the dregs of society than he did with "normal" people. It wasn't a thought he cared to examine too closely, but he'd always fit in far too easily here than he was comfortable with. And lately, with Zhane so distant, that side of himself was pushing to the fore more and more often. In the deepest, darkest depths of his mind, he could admit -- to himself, at least -- that it frightened him.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Andros made his way to the most popular of the bars on Onyx, ironically enough, named "Onyx". He took in the cornucopia of patrons in the bar and the various different illegal activities they were all engaged in. He had hopes that at least one of them would be able to point him in Darkonda's direction.

Luck -- good or bad, even he couldn't have said -- seemed to be with him, however. He didn't need to find someone to lead him to Darkonda, for Darkonda was actually in the bar. Fate was just like that sometimes. And, as luck would have it, he'd just cozied up to a gambling table. Perfect. Before they could deal out the cards, Andros stepped up to the table. Dropping his voice down into the deep undertone that had always made those bigger and stronger than he back down, he said simply, "Wait."

Naturally, they questioned his interruption of their game, demanding to know who he was. He let the coldness of his gaze penetrate the darkness of his cowl, "Just a traveler." That was all these scum needed to know.

Darkonda's eyes met his with a gaze as cold as his own, "Aren't we all." Clearly the reptilian dark lord recognized something in Andros as kin of mind. He might not have looked like much, but Darkonda clearly recognized in him something to be wary of. They were the most dangerous beings in that bar. Recognizing that in each other, everyone else ceased to matter. It was a start. Darkonda motioned at the dealer, "Deal them."

With so much riding on this game of chance, Andros was tempted to use his telekinetic powers to cheat... but, no. He was too many steps down that slippery slope already. And besides... he was a more than fair card player. If he needed that kind of advantage against these scum, then he really had been slipping. He watched with interest as those around the table examined their cards, giving away far more with their "poker faces" than they could ever have imagined. If he was any judge, the two to his right had nothing worth writing home about in their hands. The one on his left, the one Darkonda had allowed to stay in the game because of his "Eltaran artifacts", had just enough of a hand to be cocky about it, but not enough to be a threat. As suspected, it came down to he and Darkonda. And Darkonda wanted those key cards. Andros eyed the reptile, trying to determine what he might be holding in his hands. His eyes were smiling, certain... but not certain enough.

Within the depths of his hood, Andros allowed his lips to stretch into a grin as he upped the ante, "5 crystals."

With everyone in, the cocky one with the key cards laid out his hand proudly, "3 zanabas." An impressive hand... just not impressive enough, if Andros' reading of Darkonda's expression had been anywhere near accurate. And, sure enough, Darkonda's eyes shone as he laid out his own cards, "Ha! 5 Zanaba _tar_." The other two players threw down their cards in disgust, leaving his the only hand to be revealed. And he did so with great relish, simply laying the cards out on the table and leaning back. Looks like he hadn't lost his touch, after all...

The cocky one stared in shock, "A _Zenta_??" All at the table, and many in the bar, also turned to stare. The highest hand in this style of poker, not many could ever claim to have drawn one. It wasn't his fault that the cards seemed to favor him whenever he played. Perhaps it was his link to the Power, perhaps the fact that he had righteousness on his side... perhaps he _did_ cheat a little. Sometimes. Ironically enough, this hadn't been one of those times, so it was with great affront that he heard the key card holder's accusation of it. Especially as he did so at gunpoint. Well, what was a traveler to do?

Lashing out with one foot from his seated position, he threw the taller alien off balance, causing him to lose his grip on his weapon and accidentally toss it in the air. Andros calmly rose from his seated position to catch the firearm mid-air. He leveled it at its original owner, now on the ground, and said, coldly, " _You're_ the one who cheated. And not even very well. You're lucky I'm in a good mood."

Lifting the key cards and the rest of the loot from the center of the table, Andros made his way to the bar. Darkonda would follow. Of that, he had no doubt. He now had something the other wanted. Unfortunately, knowing what he held in his hand, he also knew that he couldn't give them up. Even if he did so temporarily, he would have to get them back before leaving. Bother upon bother. Why could nothing be simple? He sighed.

Darkonda did not disappoint. He made his way over to join Andros at the bar, just about oozing goodwill, "A skilled card player _and_ a daring fighter." The reptilian dark lord leaned up against him with a leer, "I like that combination." He forced himself to remain still as his mark ordered them both drinks. And then, his mind froze in its tracks. His... mark. Yes... that was why this felt so familiar. Would it not have broken his cover, Andros would have shuddered. He'd heard too many voices use that tone over too many years spent on the streets... if his nightmares weren't already full to quota with visions of Karone, he'd have had nightmares about that, too.

Jerking his thoughts wildly away from that topic, Andros focused back on what Darkonda was saying. Of course... what use _could_ these key cards be to the traveler he was posing as being? What excuse could possibly be good enough? Naturally, only one. Turning to face the reptile, he answered simply that he needed them... to buy information. Information about anything of value on KO-35. And just as naturally, Darkonda took the bait. Passing the cards over, though every Ranger instinct in him rebelled against the action, Andros let his false smile seep into his voice, "Perhaps we _can_ make a trade... Tell me what you know."

Andros turned back to his drink, feigning polite interest as Darkonda began to speak, though in truth, he was listening intently to every word. And with each passing word, he felt the rage inside him building.

"...did a job there. I kidnapped a little girl. I nabbed her while she and her brother were playing..."

  
_~The girl's delighted laughter turned to a shriek of pure terror as the lumbering form of a monster burst into the clearing towards her... And she continued to scream as the monster lifted her over his shoulder and carried her off, her desperate cry like a clarion call in the wilderness, "Andros!!!!!!!"~_   


Andros' fist clenched around the cup in his hands until he heard a sharp 'crack'. He rose from his seat and turned away from the monster beside him, repeating calming mantras to himself as that all-too-familiar laugh assailed his ears. He forced himself to remain calm as he coolly queried, "And whatever became of the girl?"

Though his heart sang as Darkonda waved off the question with a dismissive, "Oh, she's alive and well," mere moments later he was ready to scream. The other stopped just shy of telling him where his sister was! Instead, the reptilian narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "What did you say your name was?"

It was only then that he realized that as he had raised his clenched fist in frustration, his cloak had slipped back to reveal his Astromorpher. Damn and _blast_! Not now. Not when he was so bloody _close_! He ground his teeth in frustration as he tried to play it off, "I didn't."

Darkonda smirked as he began to move, "Well, then let me take a stab at it..." Pulling his sword with a fierce smirk, he advanced upon Andros, "...Red Ranger!"

Andros, having seen this coming and cursing himself for being three kinds of a fool, quickly lifted a weapon from another patron. Then the fight began in earnest. It was fast and furious and it ranged all over the bar. Darkonda taunted him with the fact that though he now had confirmation that he was the one who'd taken Andros' sister, the information would do him no good. Though his heart throbbed in pain with each driving tease, he forced his mind to remain on task. Though the one half of his mission had failed, he had picked up another objective. He needed those key cards. For, if he was correct, they were the key cards to activate the Mega Vehicles -- the zords that would combine to form the Mega Voyager. And another zord would be beyond useful right about now.

Ignoring Darkonda's continued jabs to the best of his ability, he allowed the reptilian in close enough to yank off Andros' cowl. Unbeknownst to Darkonda, that also allowed Andros close enough to _him_ to put another old skill into practice. Flashing a maniacal grin at the monster, he couldn't resist flashing the lifted key cards in his face. Throwing his equally stolen sword at Darkonda's head, he leapt from the balcony and called his Galaxy Glider to him. Racing outside, he morphed as he leapt onto the Glider and beat it out of there as fast as he could.

Unfortunately for him, Darkonda and a squadron of Quantrons and Piranhatrons were equally as fast and backup was nowhere near close by. He managed to evade the vast majority of them... but not all. As the last batch attempted to get him surrounded, he ran right into the fire from the two that had managed to get to their Velocifighters. His Glider took a direct hit, forcing him to make an abrupt landing in a side alleyway. Crouching down to hide himself, he cursed under his breath, wondering -- not for the first time -- why he always had to do things on his own.

And so it was with shock, but no little pleasure, that he heard a sorely missed voice in his mind drop this sarcastic little gem... " _You don't **really** want a response to that, do you?_ "

He turned his eyes skyward to see the Silver Cycle get behind one Velocifighter and blow it to pieces just in time for its fireball of an explosion to take out the second. Andros commanded the Glider back to the Megaship, knowing it couldn't support his weight in its present condition, then reached up to grab Zhane's lowered hand as he rode by. As they'd done a thousand times in the past, the Silver Ranger pulled him up to ride behind him on the Cycle and Andros wrapped his arms around the other Ranger's waist, tucking himself firmly against him without even thinking about it. Zhane then got them out of there as quickly as he could.

It wasn't until they were safely away from Onyx that the Silver Ranger slowed them down. Pausing a moment, he then swerved them off course. Unsure of Zhane's intentions, but unwilling to be the one to break the cold silence that filled the space between them, Andros let him take the lead. After all... it wasn't as though he had a choice. Zhane set them down on Kelturan, a forested world located halfway between Onyx and where the AstroMegaship was currently patrolling. Oh... this was not going to be good. He dismounted the Cycle and removed his helmet, waiting patiently for whatever lecture Zhane felt he needed to deliver.

* * *

Zhane stared at the recalcitrant figure that was the Red Lightstar Ranger. The man looked like a stubborn child getting ready to receive a lecture about tromping through the house in muddy boots. As though this latest stunt had been no more dangerous than playing in the rain. He took off his own helmet and placed it carefully on the Cycle's handlebars. Just _thinking_ about it! If Aerin hadn't let slip where Andros had gone... if Zhane hadn't gone after him! He got off the Silver Cycle and slowly turned to face the other Ranger. He tried for calm... he really did. It just didn't happen.

Throwing himself at the younger Ranger with an incoherent cry, he slammed his fist directly into the other's face, then proceeded to do his best to beat Andros bloody. And really... he deserved it. After a few minutes, however, he became aware that Andros wasn't fighting back, was only deflecting the blows so they did minimal damage as he waited for Zhane to wear himself out. That was so much less satisfying than he'd intended that he stopped his attack and stood back, breathing heavily, eyes wild. Andros merely lifted an eyebrow, as though to say, "Are you done being insane, now?"

Finding no appropriate response to that look in his own vernacular, Zhane borrowed one of Cassie's favorite phrases, "What is your _damage_ , Andros??"

Well, at least the Red Ranger was appropriately stunned by the language -- and confused, if his response was anything to go by, "Nothing, besides the bloody nose and split lip you just gave me. But, I don't think I understand why you ask the question, as you're the one who did the damage."

Zhane threw his hands up in disgust, "Damn it, Andros. Damn **you**." He turned back to face the other Ranger, "Have you completely lost your mind? What in the world possessed you to go to _Onyx_ \-- of all places! -- without backup?? Do you have a death-wish?"

Andros frowned as he turned his gaze away from the Silver Ranger's, "I was not in that severe danger, Zhane."

The Silver Ranger narrowed his eyes, "Oh, sure you weren't. And if I hadn't shown up to pull your tail out of the fire? I suppose you would have talked one of the Quantrons into letting you borrow a Velocifighter?"

Arms crossed over a red-clad chest as the tone of voice became defensive, "I'd have figured out something. I always do."

Far from being reassuring, that last nearly sent Zhane into another fit of screaming hysterics, "You always do???" He roared, "How often do you do this???"

Andros' eyes widened at that last scream. He hadn't quite meant to let that slip... He attempted to verbally backpedal, trying desperately to find some way to take that last statement back, "I didn't mean that I always go to Onyx! I meant that no matter how dire the situation looks, I always find a way out! I've _had_ to, Zhane! I was without a partner for two years. I had no choice!"

Well, that did it. Zhane finally quieted, eyes widened in a horrified stare. Then he just... deflated. How could he respond to that? Andros was right. Even though he had had a partner before and a whole team since, Andros had spent two years fighting alone. That had to be a hard habit to unlearn, especially when going into dangerous situations. After all... if you only took yourself, you were the only one who could get hurt. All he could say was, "But Andros... you're not alone anymore. Even though... even though we're having personal problems right now, I'm still your teammate. If you didn't think you could trust the others... Andros, you should know by now that you can trust _me_." He looked up, mahogany brown eyes shaded with sadness, "Don't you?"

Andros nodded. Still shaken by the depth of the Silver Ranger's fury, he answered without thinking, "I do know that, Zhane. It's just... Of everyone on the team, I'm most afraid of seeing you get hurt."

Zhane caught his breath, "Andros... that may be the nicest thing you've said to me in a long time."

The Red Ranger stared, startled by that revelation. Maybe Zhane really had been right when they'd had that first fight. If _that_ was the nicest thing that he'd said to Zhane in "a long time", then he really _had_ been taking the other Ranger for granted. The silence yawned between them and Andros tried desperately to think of some response, tried to find some way to utilize what Kim had told him all those days ago at the Juice Bar, some way to at least let Zhane know that he wanted to _try_... but words were not his friends. They never had been and he couldn't quite do it.

Finally, Zhane broke the silence with a sigh, "All right. What's done is done, Andros. Just... promise me that you won't run off like this again. At least tell us where you're going so we can monitor the situation."

Well, that was easy enough, "I can do that."

The Silver Ranger picked up his helmet, fiddling with the buckles as though scared to ask the next question, "So... did you find out anything?"

Understanding, for once, where Zhane's uncertainty was coming from, Andros felt it like a knife to the chest. Because, he could _hear_ the caring radiating through his voice. Zhane cared whether or not he found Karone. Zhane wanted him to find Karone. Zhane wanted to _help_. But he was afraid to even ask if he'd made any headway in the search because every time he even expressed a bit of that concern, he was coldly rebuffed. It was hard, seeing his lover in this new light. He wasn't sure he liked it. But still... Zhane had said he needed proof. Actions speak louder than words. And actions were something Andros could do. So, he did something he'd never done before. He let Zhane in. "Actually... I did."

Zhane's eyes jerked upward from where they'd been focused on his helmet. He looked like he'd just swallowed a fish. Andros actually found himself smiling a little, "I heard something on the recording this time. Something I'd never heard before." His voice became colder, "Darkonda's laugh."

The Silver Ranger's eyes widened further at the implications, " _Darkonda_ took your sister?"

Andros nodded, "I know that for fact, now."

Leaning back against the Silver Cycle, Zhane let out a breath, "So that's why the sudden need to take off to a dark planet. You were looking for Darkonda." Andros nodded, though that last hadn't been a question. Zhane continued, "Did you find him?"

Another chilling smile, "Yes. I did. And he admitted to kidnapping Karone. He also admitted that she was alive and well."

Zhane jumped up from where he was sitting, a wide smile on his face. He took two steps towards Andros, arms outstretched as though to embrace him, but then he seemed to recollect the predicament they were now in. He aborted that move to awkwardly pat him on the shoulder instead, "Andros, that's wonderful news! So where is she?"

Andros growled and shook his head, "I don't know. He saw my Astromorpher before he let that particular detail go. All I got was that I would 'never believe where she is now.'"

Brown eyes filled with shared pain, "Oh Andros... To get that close..."

"I know." Andros looked away, "I know." He cleared his throat before the silence could get oppressive, "But... it wasn't a total loss." Holding up the key cards, he gave Zhane a small, real smile, "I did manage to win these in a hand of poker."

Zhane's jaw dropped, then stretched into a grin, "A hand of poker?" At Andros' smug look, Zhane broke up laughing, "Only you, Andros... Only you. Are those really the key cards to the Mega Voyager?"

A nod, "I believe they are. I'll have to have Alpha check them for authenticity, but the monster I won them off of said that he'd gotten them while fighting on Eltar... and they certainly look like the real deal."

A low whistle was Zhane's response, "Well... and what a coup _that_ would be."

Feeling in tune with each other for the first time in weeks, they engaged in their special handshake. It might not be everything, but for the first time in a long time, Zhane found himself thinking that there was hope for them yet. He mounted the Silver Cycle and pulled his helmet back on, "All right, Andros. Let's go tell the others. Apparently, we have a 'Mega' voyage to make."

* * *

Astronema prowled the upper decks of the Dark Fortress, so far beyond angry that even Ecliptor was staying out of her way. As usual, she'd been held responsible for an event that was not her fault. Darkonda had lost the keycards to the Mega Vehicles -- and why he'd had them in the first place was beyond her -- to the Red Ranger. So now, the Power Rangers had a new zord. A _powerful_ new zord. It was bad enough that they'd had the Astro Megazord and the Delta Megazord. Now they had the Mega Voyager, too! How many zords did a Ranger team need, anyway?

Well... in a backhanded way, she supposed it was a form of flattery. After all, if she wasn't such a difficult opponent to beat and if she didn't scare them, they wouldn't feel the need to face her with such impressive firepower. But that didn't make it any less frustrating! And that Dark Spectre had placed the blame for this on _her_ shoulders... It was enough to make any self-respecting evil villain consider turning to a life of heroics.

Unfortunately, there was no help for it. Dark Spectre wanted the Rangers distracted -- defeated, if possible -- and it was her job to do it. Fortunately, she had a plan. Having no desire to try to take out three zords at once, it seemed more practical to her to try to take the Rangers down from the inside, instead. Striding purposefully back to her throne room, she put out the summons. It was time to call in the Body Switcher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Well, finally working our way towards a bit of resolution, huh? ^_^ Only 3 more parts to go! Bet you're all relieved...
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, nectarines?
> 
> _Coming Soon:_ The Lightstar Rangers take a short break to visit Earth for Ashley's birthday, but nothing ever goes as easily as planned.
> 
> O_O I'm too drained to do better than that without giving away spoilers. Sorry…


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 19, 2010:_** And this part contains one of my absolute favorite sets of lines I've ever written. ^_^ Thank you, Tommy!

Not for the first time, Andros was feeling conflicted. On the one hand, he understood why his fellow Rangers needed to return to Earth now and then, especially for dates of significance. On the other hand, however, he was all too well aware of how much work they still had to do to find Zordon... too well aware of how much harder this fight would become if and when Dark Spectre managed to drain too much of that one's power. So, really, birthday or not, they shouldn't be taking this time out for a break on Earth, especially now that they no longer needed to. But, of all people, _Billy_ had been the one to put his foot down. And Andros had been so shocked that he'd allowed himself to be bullied. So, here they were, in a park on Earth, celebrating Ashley's birthday with the Earth Rangers. Worst of all, though... he was having difficulty convincing himself that he wasn't having a good time.

Deep in the middle of this conflict, he almost didn't notice the Pink Ranger sneaking up on him. Fortunately for his reputation, however, almost didn't count. Catching the foot that propelled itself in his direction, he neatly flipped the smaller Ranger onto her back, then stood over her arching an eyebrow, "So, is this a customary greeting where you're from? Or am I just special?"

Kimberly smiled brightly as she extended a hand to the Red Ranger to help her up, "Oh, Andros. Of course you're special!"

In spite of his normal difficulties with emotional displays, Andros found it easy to smile back at the diminutive Pink Ranger. He couldn't deny that from the first time they'd met, a camaraderie had sprung up between them. Something about Kimberly Hart put him at ease. Deciding that he had enough unhappiness in his life, he had uncharacteristically decided not to question it and instead had decided to just accept it and enjoy it. Pulling her to her feet, Andros answered, "Well, that's a relief. I thought I was going to have to learn a whole new welcoming procedure. Though I confess to being a little disappointed. I think I like this one better than the handshake."

Kimberly gaped at him for a moment before socking him in the arm and bursting into giggles. When she finally sobered, the pair moved back to sit on the picnic table that Andros had abandoned to deal with the unexpected "attack". Eyes taking on a serious cast, the Pink Ranger raised an eyebrow at Andros, "All joking aside... How are things?"

Andros sighed. He'd known they were going to come around to this sooner or later. He should have expected that it would be sooner. Resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together, he answered her quietly, "I wish I could tell you, Kim. We have our moments when things are almost... normal. He helped me out of a really tight spot and I was able to tell him a little of what I told you. That... it made a difference. I think. But it's not enough and he isn't meeting me halfway anymore. And I'm just not sure what to do."

"I never said it would be easy, Andros," was the sad reply. "Relationships are hard work, remember? He told you himself -- he's been meeting you more than halfway for a while now. He just wants you to do a little more of the reaching. It sounds like you've made a good start. Now you just need to make sure you follow up on it."

A quiet nod, "You're right, of course." Another sigh, "I'll keep at it."

* * *

Across the picnic tables, another Red Ranger was confused and just itching to share that state of mind with someone else. Leaning over to Tommy, he asked, "When did Andros and Kim get so chummy? They've only met twice."

Tommy shrugged, "You've got me, bro. Ever since Kim found out they were coming in for Ashley's birthday she's been excited. If I didn't know I had no cause to be, I might be jealous." At Jason's sharp look, Tommy laughed, "Easy! I didn't say I _was_ jealous!" His smile softened, "Like I said, I know I don't have to be. I trust her, Jason. She sees something in Andros that she likes, something she recognizes... something that she doesn't see in any of us. Whatever it is, she can relax around it. It's almost... there's almost a sibling vibe there. Like she found a kid brother. Or an older brother. I haven't quite gotten the dynamic figured out yet. Whichever, though... I know he's no threat. And if she enjoys his company and he enjoys hers, where's the harm?"

Jason's smile was so wide his face almost hurt. If you'd asked him a year ago if this conversation would have been possible, he'd have been forced to say 'No'. But the last year had wrought some very positive changes in his friend. It was good to see Tommy relaxing back into himself like this. He'd missed that poise and confidence in the team's lone wolf. He clapped the other man on the shoulder, "You've got that right, bro. You do, indeed."

With a self-deprecating smile, Tommy shook his head, "Man, you have got to stop being proud of me every time I don't act like a selfish ass. It's gonna go to my head."

Jason laughed, "I can't help it! It feels good that _you_ feel good. I'm glad that my team is finally happy and settled in. Even though it's harder this time around... it feels different. _Better_. And I confess, I've been getting a bit of a high from it."

Tommy snorted, "Are you sure that's why you're so perky?" Narrowing an eye in his Red Ranger's direction, he commented, "Because Kim and I couldn't help but notice that the _real_ improvement in your attitude happened when you found out that Billy would be joining the Lightstar Rangers on Earth for Ashley's birthday."

To Tommy's surprise, Jason's answer to that was an intense blush. The Red Ranger ducked his head and let out a small groan, "How many people has Trini talked to about this?"

Now it was the Green Ranger's turn to be confused, "Trini didn't say a word... Should she have?"

Jason lifted his head long enough to gape at Tommy, "Wait a minute. You mean you and Kim figured it out on your own?"

Blinking in bemusement, Tommy said, "Figured what out? That you're happy to have your best friend back?"

Jason's eyes widened, "So you _didn't_ figure it out?"

Tommy was now looking comically distressed and feeling like he was caught in a round of 'Who's on First?' with him as the straight man... as usual. He almost whimpered as he asked, quietly, "What are we talking about, again?"

Before Jason had a chance to answer -- and no doubt confuse the situation further -- an amused voice broke through the conversation, "I'm torn between the desire to help you guys out and the desire to just sit back and enjoy the show. Are all Earth men this clueless?"

The two Earth Rangers turned away from each other and towards the newcomer in equal parts relief and frustration. Jason smiled sheepishly, "I always thought of myself as pretty astute in these matters, actually..."

Zhane arched an eyebrow, "Well, I suppose as an Empath, you ought to be. But really... that makes watching this conversation even _more_ painful. Would you like some help?"

Tommy nodded his head vigorously at the older Ranger, "Speaking for myself, at least, any light you could shed here would be greatly appreciated."

The Silver Ranger chuckled quietly as he settled down across from them on a picnic bench, "My pleasure. You see, Tommy, as near as I have been able to figure from a) watching my fellow metallic Ranger fret himself into a state this last month from missing Jason and b) from the vehemence with which he declared that we would return to Earth for Ashley's birthday... he apparently has feelings for your Red Ranger." Smiling slyly at said Red Ranger, Zhane continued, "And judging from what I just overheard, the feelings are apparently mutual."

Tommy blinked, "Feelings? What kind of feelings?"

Ignoring Jason's frantic shushing motions with a glee that was bordering on maniacal, Zhane continued, "Romantic, Tommy. Romantic."

Jason dropped his head into his hands and let out a quiet moan. Tommy looked up at his best friend with even more confusion than before, "So you figured that was what Kim and I were talking about?"

A nod was the Red Ranger's only response.

Tommy continued, "Well... it wasn't. But I don't see why you'd be so stressed even if it were. So, I'll bite. What's the big deal?"

Now it was Jason's turn to be confused, "Wait... What?"

The Green Ranger shrugged his shoulders, "So what's the big deal? It's not like we could see all the things that we've seen and still hang onto something as crass as homophobia. We've always known how much you love Billy and how much he loves you. So what's the big deal if that love takes on a different form? I'll go you one further -- I'll bet none of us would even be surprised."

The look on Jason's face was priceless if Zhane's sudden laughing fit was anything to go by. He let it fall into a scowl as he turned it on the Silver Ranger, "This isn't that funny."

Zhane turned his beaming smile full-force on the younger Ranger, "Actually, Jason... it kind of is. But really, we're not the ones you need to be talking to." Nodding across the clearing, he indicated Trini and Billy, "You need to be talking to him." Sobering, he placed a hand on Jason's arm, "But, in all seriousness, Jason... You need to grab your chances at happiness in both hands and wring from them all the joy you can, because you can lose them all too easily." Eyes dropping, he finished with, "Take it from someone who knows."

Jason nodded as he clasped Zhane's arm in return, "OK. I give. You're both right and _I_ need to stop being a selfish ass. We'll get this settled... one way or another."

Zhane's smile returned, though a bit softened around the edges, "I'm glad to hear it." He gave Jason's arm a squeeze before releasing him, "Luck, Jason."

Already halfway turned away from the older Ranger, that last turn-of-phrase caused Jason to look back, "Zhane, I've been meaning to ask you... where'd you pick that up?"

Finally having his own turn to be perplexed, the Silver Ranger frowned, "Pick what up?"

Jason frowned, "That phrase... I've only ever heard my mother use it."

Zhane shrugged, "I probably picked it up from her, then, Jason. She was my father's best friend and I did know her as a child." He gave the younger man a shove, "And you're ducking the issue! Go talk to Billy -- no more excuses!"

Shooed on by both Zhane and Tommy, Jason soon found that he had no choice. With a heartfelt sigh, he went to face his fate.

* * *

At the same time that Jason was having his talk with Tommy and Zhane, Billy was having an equally productive one with Trini. Only one month into his time with the Lightstar Rangers and Billy was already starting to regret his decision to leave Earth. Was it true that he could do more good in Space? Yes. Was it true that he wanted to get to know his only living team mate better? Of course. Was it true that he wanted a chance to explore the AstroMegaship -- his team's "Blue" Ranger's last legacy -- in more depth? Absolutely. But even so... Billy knew the real reason why he had left Earth. He was running away.

He and Jason had always been close. As children they'd been inseparable -- and it made sense, really. After all, until meeting Zack and the girls, Jason had been Billy's only friend... and vice versa. But even once they'd widened their circle, Billy and Jason had been closer than most friends, at times more like brothers. So, when they hit high school and started saving the world, Billy had been mortified by his own reaction to the side effect of running around in skin-tight outfits while doing so. He'd expected to have a reaction to seeing Trini and Kim that way -- after all, even a techno-geek was still a teenaged boy. What he _hadn't_ expected was his reaction to seeing Jason that way. It was worse than football season.

So, desperate to forget that he'd ever had those thoughts about his best friend, he'd buried them in his pursuit of more and more advanced technology and geekdom. Fortunately for him, the others never looked past it. Though in retrospect, it was a surprise that Jason had never called him on it, especially in light of his recently revealed Empathy. Maybe he'd just done what Billy did and chalked it up to teenaged curiosity and hormones. Regardless, Billy had run from it as fast as he could, and really, Jason had done the same, running off to Switzerland with Trini and Zack.

For a while, Billy had been able to forget by burying himself in his work and in helping out the new Ranger team. He'd come to accept that he was different and even to enjoy that difference a little -- as long as he didn't have to think about the man who was like a brother to him that way. Then Jason had come back. He'd been exceedingly pleased by that, but while Jason did help Billy to get over his depression and angst-fest, he'd unknowingly thrown a different wrench into the works at the same time. You see... Apparently, he looked just as good in black skin-tight body armor as he did in red. But again, Jason said nothing. And Billy had been more than a little confused. He knew by then that Jason was an Empath and had assumed that his best friend would spare him the embarrassment of saying anything about it by mentioning it himself, especially with all the other uncomfortable revelations their team had been having.

By the time they left to go to Phaedos, Billy was beginning to suspect that the reason Jason continually said nothing was that he didn't want to tell Billy that he didn't feel the same way. And after all, why would he? He was captain of the football team, a black belt in multiple fields of martial arts, leader of the Power Rangers -- the all-American boy. It's not like he would be gay. But then once they were settled in on Phaedos, Jason had started sending him some awfully mixed signals. It was nothing overt... it was all in the subtleties. It was in the way that Jason would invade his personal space -- he always had, but now that they had a whole planet's worth of space all to themselves it was more noticeable. It was in the way that whenever they had to split up to do something, Jason always made sure they were together. It was in the way that Jason would send out this irritated vibe whenever he found Billy alone with Trini.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst of it was that Trini was giving off the same subtle vibes. Billy had held onto his crush on Trini with a fervor bordering on desperation. That crush was his last tangible proof that he was "normal" in that way. Deep down inside, however, he knew that the appreciation he felt for her beauty was not the same as the bone-deep attraction he had always had for Jason. When he saw her starting to respond to him in the same way, and **knew** that he couldn't return that depth of feeling... he panicked. Fortunately, that was near the end of their time on Phaedos. He'd been able to duck the issue when they returned to Earth, but the minute that a chance had presented itself to run from the two of them, he'd taken it. See... the problem had never been about whether he knew what _he_ wanted. He wanted Jason. He always had. But how to achieve that without scaring his friend off -- or worse, hurting Trini -- he had no idea.

In the back of his mind, he had thought he might be able to bring himself to ask Zhane for advise... but with the current situation between he and Andros, it just hadn't seemed right. So, he had sulked around the AstroMegaship, growing more and more despondent, until Ashley had hesitantly suggested that she would like to return to Earth to celebrate her birthday. He'd seized on that opportunity like a drowning man to a life raft. But now that they were back... he hadn't been able to get Jason alone to talk to him. And time was running out.

He'd enjoyed his time talking with Trini, but was beginning to feel a little desperate. Andros was enjoying himself now, but he was sure to start eyeing his chronometer soon and hinting that it was time they returned to the ship. As though noting his increased anxiety, Trini patted his knee, "Billy... as much as I've enjoyed catching up with you -- and I have -- I think I'm going to go check on Zack. He and TJ look like they're about to get Adam into trouble."

Caught off guard, Billy jerked his head up to look at her, "But... what?"

A knowing smile resting easily on her face, Trini pointed out Jason walking quickly and purposefully in their direction. Leaning over to plant a chaste kiss on Billy's cheek, she whispered, "It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done." At Billy's startled look, she rested one hand against his cheek and spoke quietly but deliberately, "Talk to each other. Work it out. You have my blessing." And then she was gone.

Jason finally reached the bench that Billy was sitting on and asked quietly, "Was it something I said?"

Billy shook his head as he stood up, "No." Looking away for a moment, he steeled his resolved and motioned for Jason to come with him. He didn't want to have this talk in full view of everyone. It seemed wrong somehow. With a sigh, he said, "Let's take this somewhere a little more private. We have a few too many prying eyes here."

Nodding wordlessly, Jason followed Billy off into the trees. They found a small grove of evergreens and Billy settled down at the base of one, a look of peace stealing over his features. Mirroring his friend's actions at the base of a tree nearby, Jason also felt himself relax. They hadn't had time alone like this since Phaedos. It wasn't a surprise that neither of them seemed to want to fill the peaceful silence with uncomfortable words... nor was it a surprise when they both finally gathered up the courage to do it at the same time.

"Billy, I have something to tell--"

"Jason, there is a matter of some importance--"

They both stopped and looked at each other. Only a moment later they both broke up into laughter. The laughter had a slightly hysterical edge to it, but at least it broke the tension. Billy waved at him to start. Jason sighed, "Billy... we've been dancing around something all this last year and I think we need to get it out into the open."

The Platinum Ranger nodded, "Agreed."

Jason met Billy's eyes and saw only encouragement and support. Somehow, he thought Billy knew what he was about to say. That made this easier. Taking a deep breath, he plunged on ahead, "Billy, how do you feel about me?"

Billy blinked, startled, before getting out, "What?"

Jason blushed, "Well, I do realize that I'm an Empath, but a long time ago, I decided that there were times it wasn't appropriate to use my gift. So, I make an effort to block it at those times. This felt like cheating... so I didn't. I'm as clueless as a plebe here... so that's why I'm doing this the old fashioned way and asking. How do you feel about me?"

Shaking his head, Billy let out a huff of laughter, "Well... that explains a few things." At Jason's inquisitive look, Billy smiled, "One I found out about your gift, I assumed you already knew how I felt and just weren't mentioning it because you didn't want to embarrass me or hurt my feelings."

"Oh." Meeting each other's eyes again, there was a world of silent understanding that passed between them. Jason's mouth stretched wide into a grin, "So, I guess that answers my question."

Billy's lips twitched upwards, "I guess it does. Now the question is, what do we do about it?"

Jason looked down at his hands, "Well... I suppose that depends, doesn't it? I mean, I'm stuck on Earth and you're going back into Space..." Abruptly he looked up, "Unless you're not? I wouldn't mind it if you stayed on Earth, you know. My mother can handle the Lightstar Rangers on her own, I'm sure. You don't have to go..."

Billy held up a hand. _Who knew? Even Jason babbles when he's nervous..._ He smiled at his oldest friend and shook his head, "Whether I stay or go isn't the issue, Jason -- though I'm naturally pleased that you wish me to stay. What I meant was... how do you want to pursue these newly admitted feelings?"

A moment later, Billy blinked in genuine startlement, _Well, I'll be damned... Apparently, he blushes, too..._

Jason coughed lightly into his hand, "Billy... I've never... I mean..."

Billy could only stare in amazement. Somehow, he had just assumed that -- as with so many other things -- Jason had more experience in this arena than he had. He smiled, touched at his friend's nervous stammering. Seeing Jason in this new way was... enlightening, to say the least. This wasn't exactly what he had intended when he'd asked that question, but since the conversation had taken this rather... _interesting_ turn... He inched closer to get a better view of his friend's face, "Not even with a girl?"

Jason looked up, startled to find his best friend suddenly much closer and with a very odd light in his eyes, "Well... I've kissed girls. And I've made out with one or two. Nothing more than that." Jason's eyes then got comically wider, "Have **you**?"

Billy had to laugh at the look on Jason's face, "Not with a girl, no."

Jason's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He turned and pursued Billy back up against his own tree to stare down into his eyes, "With anyone I know? And why didn't you tell me?" That almost seemed a betrayal of sorts. How could Billy have lost any form of his innocence and not told him? When had it happened? Had he told Trini?

Billy coughed and looked away, sensing his friend's hurt and now regretting having been flippant about it, "It was Cestro. When the Aquitian Rangers came to help us out during the Zeo Quests. That was... it was a difficult time for me. I had just given up my position as an active Ranger, all of my teammates were children, you, Trini and Zack were still at the Peace Conference and Kim was in Florida. I was lonely and he was... he was good to me." Standing up and walking a few paces away, Billy wrung his hands together, "We hadn't... we hadn't done much more than what you described as your experiences with girls. But then the others came back from their Zeo Quests and things... they only got worse for me. Cestro could see how lonely I was, even among my friends, and he asked me to come to Aquitar with him. He even came up with a reasonable excuse -- said that they needed my help to repel an alien invasion."

Turning back to meet Jason's eyes, he said quietly, "I almost stayed with him, Jason. I even almost convinced myself that I was in love... but I wasn't. And neither was he. Our relationship was about comfort and friendship, not love. I was grateful for what he did give me, but we both knew that it was never meant to be any more than that. We each had someone else that we would have rather been with."

Jason rose to stand with him, then hesitantly enveloped him in a hug, "Then I suppose I'll just have to be grateful that he was there when you needed someone and that your first time was with someone special... even if it wasn't with me."

Billy huffed out a laugh against his friend's shoulder, "And I suppose we should be grateful for one more thing..."

Jason leaned back to look down into Billy's smiling eyes, "Oh? And what would that be?"

The Platinum Ranger laughed as he wrapped one hand around the back of Jason's head to pull him down for a steamy, needs-a-private-room- **now** kiss that was over far too soon for him to fully appreciate his friend's skill. When the kiss was over and he'd managed to refocus his attention on his friend, Billy said cheekily, "This way, at least one of us knows what he's doing."

There was only one way that Jason could answer that. He pulled Billy tightly against him and bent his lips to the other man's once more to prove that while he might lack experience, he could make up for it with enthusiasm.

* * *

Aerin couldn't help but feel a surge of melancholy as she wandered the empty corridors of the AstroMegaship. Timing had not favored her on this visit. Everett, though inordinately pleased to see her when she'd showed up on their doorstep, had a business trip scheduled for the coming weekend. They'd only had a few hours together before she had to take him to the airport. If it weren't for the fact that he was traveling with a co-worker, she'd have volunteered to teleport him to gain a little more time... but it wasn't to be. It was a shame, really. Especially after this last year, she'd been missing him a lot. And she was all too aware of how little time they truly had. Not even a full century... possibly not even another half century. Only a handful of decades left before she would ultimately lose him. But this time, she had resolved not to take the coward's way out. This time, she would stick by him until the end -- no matter what pain it cost her. She owed him that much, at least.

For now, however, that included allowing him to live his life the way he saw fit. And that meant letting him do his job. And so, she found herself alone, wandering the deserted hallways of the AstroMegaship, remembering other friends that she had barely had the chance to know before losing them. And this ship... it was eerie, in a way. She could almost feel Decka's presence -- like a flash she was catching only out of the corner of her eye, or a snatch of melody heard upon the wind. Perhaps it was that the computer's voice sounded so much like her friend's. Perhaps it was that she could see Decka's artistic touch in every line of the ship. Perhaps it was just the echo of memory. This ship had been the golden-haired Ranger's magnum opus and, in a very real sense, had been even more her child than Andros and Karone had been. After all, she had only put 9 months into making her human children... but she had slaved over the design and building of this ship for almost 10 years.

It wasn't a great surprise to find her wanderings leading her to the Simudeck. In truth, she'd always been fascinated by the place. A room that could create a world so realistic that human senses couldn't tell it from the real thing. Only Decka could have come up with something like that... and enacted it. The other Engineers had scoffed at her for even dreaming up the idea, much less for actually following it through. They hadn't thought she could -- or really even that she _should_. They'd considered it a waste of precious resources that would be better used to create a larger arsenal. But really, Decka was brilliant to have considered this one thing that no one else had -- that while off patrolling the deepest recesses of space, when one could expect that they might not see planetfall for months or more, the basic knowledge that one could go to the Simudeck and experience a sunny day in the park from back home went a long way towards helping one keep one's sanity.

Dialing up her favorite Simudeck program, Aerin walked through the doors... and into paradise.

True, it might not be what the others would consider beautiful, or even restful, but to Aerin... it was home. Altiyar was a desert planet, its settlements clustered around its few precious bodies of water and built either deep into the sand or high up in the mountain elevations to avoid the scorching heat of their overly close sun. A network of natural caverns housed the planet's underground rivers and lakes and the mountain retreats its cloud-parks where most of the growing was done. This particular program was of _her_ cavern... the one where she'd morphed for the first time, when she'd discovered how truly different she was from the rest of her people. More than anywhere else in the universe, this underground grotto was home.

Stripping off her shoes and socks, Aerin dangled her legs into the water, smiling as this set off a ripple effect that was reflected throughout the entire cave. Peeling out of everything else but the bathing suit she'd donned under her clothes, she let herself slide the rest of the way into the water, resting on the ledge she knew was just at the right height to keep her head above water. She'd missed this. The peace... the tranquility... She was asleep before she even registered how tired she was.

* * *

It could have been minutes or hours later that she was abruptly jerked out of her nap by a hand under her arm and an exacerbated voice saying, "For the love of little green men, Aerin! Are you really that stupid or are you trying to kill yourself?"

Confused and disoriented, Aerin could only splutter, "Decka?? What the-- How did you--?" Getting her feet under her at last, Aerin spun around to face the smaller woman, "You're supposed to be dead!"

The golden-haired woman put her hands on her hips and scowled, "Of course I'm dead, you numb-wit! And you'd have been joining me if you dipped your face any further forward! It's a good thing I was paying attention!"

Aerin gaped at the woman for a full minute before shaking her head to clear it, "So this is a dream?"

The Purple Ranger shook her head and sighed, "No. It isn't. It's the Simudeck, Aerin. This is a subprogram I've been working on to use the Simudeck to facilitate my interaction with the Rangers. I have often thought that having a human face to speak to would greatly enhance the Rangers' receptiveness to any suggestions that I make. Also, using what I learned during the incident with the Craterites, I believe that I will be able to utilize this fully interactive program anywhere on the ship. I have not had occasion before now to try it out, however."

Aerin visibly deflated, "Oh. You're not Decka. You're _DECA_." She'd been so sure... For a moment, when she'd first responded, Aerin was sure that she'd been talking to her long-lost friend. But once she'd wandered off into techno-babble, she'd sounded like the AstroMegaship computer again. Maybe it had just been wishful thinking. She sighed, "Well... that's as may be, but I'd be careful about how you introduce this new facet to your abilities. Andros doesn't take well to change."

A soft, "I know," was DECA's only response before fading from the Simudeck.

Suppressing a shiver, Aerin did the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Zhane: *snickers* OK... that was good. I enjoyed that.
> 
> R-chan: ^_^ Thought you might!
> 
> Billy: *smirk* _I_ enjoyed it, too...
> 
> R-chan: *eg* Mmm... yeah, also thought you might. ^_^ *blinkblink* *pokes* Jason... you're awfully quiet.
> 
> Jason: O_O I'm still reevaluating.
> 
> Billy: *laughs* Turned your world on its side, did I?
> 
> Jason: O_O Little bit, there, yeah.
> 
> Billy: *smirk*
> 
> R-chan: *beams* My work here is done, I think. ^_^
> 
> Originally posted at my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, boysenberries?
> 
> _Coming Soon:_ Astronema has successfully invaded the AstroMegaship... or so she thinks. She even starts to begin reeking havoc, only to find that it won't be nearly so easy as she thought it would be.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 19, 2010:_** This is the last short chapter. Next one's nice and long. Astronema on the AstroMegaship... oh my! ^_^

Everything had been going according to plan. Astronema had gotten the Body Switcher to make her outward appearance match that of the Yellow Ranger. It had been relatively easy to then kidnap said Ranger and ship her off to the Dark Fortress, leaving her free to move about in her place. So it should have been easy from there. But somehow... it wasn't. She hadn't realized how very different the lives of the Rangers were from her own and things had started to go wrong almost from the very start.

She and the Pink Ranger had returned from their walk to break up the rest of the "party" with the news that they'd been attacked. The others had been shocked and extremely dismayed at that particular tidbit -- especially as none of them had gotten to be in on it. The Red Lightstar Ranger had jumped on the chance to send them packing back to the AstroMegaship. This had resulted in an extremely amusing argument between he and the Red Earth Ranger. If she were being honest, she'd confess that the situation had left her rather puzzled. Finally the argument had been ended by the Platinum Ranger. He had pulled the Red Earth Ranger aside to have a heated discussion of their own which ended in the Red Ranger backing off and ultimately leaving the park. The rest of the Earth Rangers had said their farewells and followed him. And then -- to her great surprise -- the Platinum Ranger had done the same. She'd been so sure that he was patrolling in Space with the others... Well, in light of how the rest of her day was going, it was the least of her worries.

Once the drama was finished, the six Space Rangers teleported back to the AstroMegaship. Feeling herself at a loss as the others scurried out from under the Red Ranger's barely controlled wrath, Astronema found herself doing the same -- just picking a random direction and high-tailing it. In retrospect, that hadn't been the smartest idea. Now she was uncertain where she was, and more importantly, where the other Rangers were. She could ask the computer for directions back to the engine room, but professing such ignorance to the ship's resident AI seemed like a surefire way to get herself caught. So, she stood in a side hallway and quietly banged her head back against the wall as she cursed to herself over her own stupidity.

A few minutes later, rescue came from an unlikely source. The Green Darkstar Ranger came barreling around the corner and nearly ran into her. Throwing up her hands into a defensive posture, Astronema ground out, "Watch where you're going, you numbskull!"

Whatever the Green Ranger had been about to say withered and died without even reaching her lips. Instead she tossed back a cross, "And happy birthday to you _too_ , Ashley. What the hell is wrong with everyone? You're the second snit I've walked into in the last 10 minutes! You all get out on the wrong side of the Jump Tubes or something? And while we're at it, where the hell is Billy?"

Well, that certainly hadn't been what she expected. She was going to have to remember to be more careful -- she wasn't the evil overlord here. She was part of a team, part of a group of friends... This was going to be harder than she'd thought. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she said, "Gosh, Aerin, I'm so sorry! We got attacked by Astronema while we were down on Earth. I guess I was just pretty bummed that my party got cut short."

The Green Ranger eyed her with a suspicious cast, "You're sure that's all it is?"

Astronema forced her smile wider -- how did humans do this all the time? It made her face ache... "Yeah, of course. What else would it be?"

The older woman's eyes narrowed, "I don't know. It just seems a bit strange to me, that's all." Aerin continued to pin Astronema with her stare. Just as the imposter was really beginning to sweat, Aerin shrugged and broke it off, "Well, I'll tell you the same thing I told Andros and TJ -- whatever it is, get it the hell out of your system before we have to fight anything. The last thing we need is to have the team divided any further than it already is."

Than it already is...? Before she had a chance to ask for an explanation of that last statement, the older Ranger was around her and heading down the corridor. Probably a good thing, too -- if the Rangers were fracturing from the inside, Ashley would presumably already know about it. She didn't want to give herself away. Not yet. An evil smile playing about her lips, she started off in the direction that Aerin had come from -- after all, if she'd encountered the Red and Blue Rangers, it stood to reason that Astronema might find them if she backtracked the older Ranger's steps. And she was nothing if not a good hunter.

* * *

To tell the truth, TJ was getting more than a little fed up. The Dark Princess had them so turned around these days that they were at each other's throats about the littlest things. And Zhane and Andros "taking a break" from each other sure as hell wasn't helping the situation. He felt like their team was a powder keg just waiting for the right spark. And Billy flat out refusing to return to the ship, in spite of Andros ordering him otherwise, might have been that spark. For goodness sake, Andros had even tried to take on Aerin! This had to stop.

Deciding it was time someone took an active shot at peacemaking, TJ followed their leader up to the bridge. Once they were alone, the one time Red Ranger put an authoritative snap into his voice, "What is your problem, Andros?"

The Red Ranger didn't even turn at the sound, just continued prepping the ship to leave orbit as he evenly responded, "I have to pick just one?"

TJ slammed a hand down on the console in front of him, "That's not what I meant, Andros, and you know it! If we keep taking our frustrations out on each other, Astronema will have us in shreds in no time. You're our leader, Andros. Act like it! We need you to pull us together at a time like this, not push us further apart!"

Andros paused in his flight checks and let his head droop with a tired sigh, "I know, TJ. I just feel like everything is spinning out of my control right now. I wouldn't even know where to start trying to fix it."

 **Now** Andros turned around, and the open grief and anguish in his eyes rocked TJ to the core, "So, if you have any bright suggestions, Red Turbo Ranger, now would be the time." TJ mutely shook his head and Andros nodded, "As I suspected." Turning back to his console, Andros sighed again, "I'll give it some thought, TJ, but you know I'm no good at this, so I suggest that you do the same. Now get the hell off my bridge and leave me in peace."

Wary of setting off his own sparks, the Blue Ranger, for once, did exactly as ordered.

* * *

What luck! Tracking backwards, Astronema had indeed managed to find the Blue and Red Rangers. Not only had she found _them_ , she had found the bridge, as well. Not an insignificant find. She had but a brief moment, however, to catch a glimpse before the doors swished shut, closing both the bridge and the Red Ranger off from view. So busy was she in trying to steal that glimpse that she failed to notice the Blue Ranger as he came up behind her and took her elbow in a firm but surprisingly gentle grip. His deep voice murmured quietly into her ear, "I wouldn't, Ashley. Something set him off in a big way and I think he needs to lick his wounds in private for a little while. He'll join us when he's ready."

Startled and off balance from the assumed intimacy, Astronema actually found herself allowing the Blue Ranger to lead her away from the bridge. As they walked, the Blue Ranger's hand settled downwards from her elbow to link with her own hand and grasp it firmly. Not entirely comfortable with that action, she was nonetheless forced to allow it in order to not blow her cover. And there was something almost comforting in the warmth of the larger hand covering her own.

Tearing her attention away from the joining of their hands, Astronema started cataloguing the rooms and halls that they passed on the way to wherever the Blue Ranger was taking them. She would need to be able to find her way back here, after all. Fortunately, he seemed disinclined to talk for the time being.

Eventually, they came to their destination and it was the Rec Room. Hadn't the man had enough of partying down on Earth? Apparently not. Personally, she could understand the need for a training facility, but not this all-encompassing "recreation" room. Why did humans feel the need for all of this distraction from their chosen missions? It was a concept she just couldn't grasp.

They were not the only two to have chosen to make use of this place, either. The Black Ranger was on the other side of the room utilizing some of the training equipment -- some sort of strength enhancing machine if she didn't miss her guess -- an activity she could at least approve of. The room's other occupant was the Silver Ranger. He was sitting near the large viewport with a mug of some hot liquid. He was gazing out at the stars, seemingly unaware of anything else around him. There was something about his posture... It invoked an unwilling echo in her own heart for she recognized that hunched position all too well. It was loneliness.

The Blue Ranger nodded his head in satisfaction, "I thought he might be here." He turned to look down at her and caught her other hand in his, "Ashley, we can't all continue on like we have been. This team is starting to splinter and we have to bring it back together before Astronema finds out and starts using it against us. If Andros won't -- or can't -- do it, then we'll have to. And we have to start with Zhane. He's the key to getting everyone else back into alignment. When he's off balance, he pulls us all right down with him." The Blue Ranger paused then sighed, "I don't think I'm the right one to talk to him. We get along just fine, but we'll never be close friends. I think it should be you. I'll take Carlos and go find Cassie. The three of us ought to be able to talk to Aerin. Then you and Zhane can go talk to Andros. By then he may be calm enough to listen."

Before Astronema could even gather breath to protest the obvious lunacy of the situation, the Blue Ranger brushed a thumb across her cheek and pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to her lips. With a smile, he said merely, "I'm counting on you." He was away before she could gather her wits to disagree.

What? Whatwhatwhat? She couldn't get her mind to slow down enough in its mad whirl to even begin to compute what had just happened. This plan... it was _not_ shaping up the way she'd intended at all. She'd intended to sneak on board and sow dissension. She hadn't expected to find it already here and be snagged into attempting to _fix_ it! And the Blue Ranger... that had **certainly** not been expected. She'd heard the intel stating that he and the Yellow Ranger appeared to be forming a liaison, but she hadn't taken into consideration what that would mean to her personally if she were to take the place of the Yellow Ranger. Her hand rose to her mouth of its own volition. She could almost swear her lips _tingled_ from even that lightest of pressures. She had wanted to object, she really had, in spite of the risk to her cover, but something about the Blue Ranger... it was easy to see, in times like this, why the man had once been chosen to lead a Ranger team. He had such a... a _force_ to his personality. It was like an undertow. You could find yourself drawn under by it even before you realized you were in the ocean.

Astronema shook herself free of those thoughts before she could sink any deeper. Enough. The Blue Ranger didn't matter. What mattered was what she could do, now. An evil smirk settled across her features, as Astronema realized what a perfect opportunity the Blue Ranger had unwittingly handed her. She had been left alone with the Silver Ranger, the "key to getting everyone else back into alignment." There was so much potential here to sow discord! Schooling her face into a mockery of sympathy, she strode forward resolutely towards the silent figure on the window-seat. At least... it started out that way.

By the time she was halfway across the room, her step began to falter. That single, forlorn figure... She was used to seeing the Silver Ranger brimming with vitality and good cheer. Normally it was enough to drive her mad, but now... seeing him like this... It unsettled her. She couldn't have said exactly what it was that drove her to that feeling, but she found that she was reluctant to cause the normally bright and vivacious Ranger any further grief than he was clearly already suffering. Just as she started to debate leaving, however, the Silver Ranger took the choice out of her hands.

His voice hardly more than a whisper in the vast space, he said, "Ashley? Don't leave on my account. Truthfully... I could use some company."

And that was it. Now she was stuck. "Ashley" would never leave a fellow Ranger in the lurch, especially given a plea like that. _Well, on his head be it, then. You want my company, you've got it._ Astronema stepped up to join the Silver Ranger on the window seat. Unfortunately, her life in Dark Spectre's employ hadn't exactly prepared her to have a "heart to heart" discussion with a human. For darkness' sake, she couldn't even have one with the being she considered a father!

Fortunately for them both, the Silver Ranger again took the matter out of her hands. He sighed, still turned away from her and facing the viewport, "Why is it that every time it seems like things can't get any more difficult... they do?"

A good question -- one she asked herself almost every day. But the response she would normally make wouldn't be appropriate here. She settled on a noncommittal, "Life is just like that, I guess."

A soft snort, "Yeah. I suppose so." Now the Silver Ranger turned to face her, "Carlos misses his family, Cassie is like a fish out of water here in space and Aerin is all tangled up between wanting to help us and worrying about her son. Andros..." He trailed off before continuing on a different track, "You and TJ seem to be the only ones among us that are truly happy right now."

Astronema put a hand to her head to massage her brow. The Silver Ranger sounded so lost, so in need of comfort. Every instinct in her head was screaming at her to push him over the edge. But for some reason, she just couldn't do it. Forgetting that she was supposed to be Ashley, she answered him truthfully, "Not everyone gets to be happy all the time. In fact, no one really even gets to be happy _most_ of the time. You just have to muddle through it the best you can..."

With his customary broad smile in place, he finished with her, "...and grab your chances at happiness when you find them."

The smile that tugged at her lips was more real this time, "Exactly."

The Silver Ranger's smile, however, was gone as quickly as it came, "That's just it, though, Ashley. Joy shouldn't be a fragile, fleeting thing and you shouldn't have to spend your life pursuing it just to catch its coattails every now and then. It should be something you can wrap around yourself and hold on to."

Astronema frowned, perplexed at how this conversation seemed to want to go wrong at every turn, "But it isn't. You can't hold onto happiness. When you try it just slips through your fingers."

That brought the Silver Ranger's gaze up to meet hers, a frown line pasted between his brows, "That doesn't sound like you at all, Ashley." The frown deepened, "Is everything all right with you and TJ?"

Damn it! That was exactly what she'd been trying to avoid. She forced a broad smile onto her face, "It's fine! Nothing's wrong between us!" Seeing the Silver Ranger completely unconvinced, she continued, "Really, it's just what's going on with the team lately!" She let her false smile settle into a sterner expression, hoping that the Ranger would buy her act, "We need to hold together. That seems to be getting harder and harder to do. Astronema's just too good."

She allowed herself an internal smile at the self-praise, especially when the Silver Ranger nodded in agreement, "She is at that." After taking a moment to collect himself and shake the remainder of his melancholy, he smiled mischievously at her. It was almost... eerie. It was like watching someone pull on a mask, but the mask was his own face. It felt completely false... and yet, somehow Astronema knew that the only reason she saw through it was because she was used to seeing through people's false promises and fake accolades. The Silver Ranger wasn't going to let this go. She'd have to be on her guard. He continued with, "So, if there are no problems in paradise, what exactly were you and TJ plotting back there?"

Astronema was ashamed to admit it, but she'd gotten so wrapped up in their conversation, she'd almost forgotten its original purpose. She pasted another smile on her face, suddenly sure that she was not fooling the Silver Ranger with it, and said, "Well, we noticed that the team seems to be splintering. He went to go talk to the others and suggested that if I could bring you around, we both should go talk to the R-- to Andros." Damn it! Astronema could only hope the Silver Ranger hadn't caught that last slip.

Judging by the slight narrowing of his eyes, he had. Of course, one who so clearly wore a mask of his own would surely recognize another who did the same. But for whatever reason, he again chose to let it slide, "OK, Ashley. You're right. Let's go talk to Andros."

Standing, he held out his hand to help her up. As she took it and allowed him to lead her from the room, it occurred to Astronema, for the first time, that she might just be in over her head.

* * *

It had been relatively simple to get the Body Switcher to make her look like Astronema. It had been even simpler to convince Elgar that she _was_ Astronema and get him to release her. In truth, Ashley was a little dismayed by how easy that had all been. These were the enemies of which they were so afraid? What was _not_ proving easy, however, was getting out of the Dark Fortress. The place was a worse labyrinth than the Megaship had ever been and it just would not do for it to seem like she was lost. Astronema would never be lost on her own ship. She'd be torn to shreds before she had a chance to explain.

Turning another corner and praying she was going in the right direction, Ashley nearly ran full tilt into Darkonda. _Oh no! Think, Ashley! What would Astronema say?_ Jumping back, she whipped her hands up into a guard position and growled out, "Watch where you're going, you creep!" OK... maybe that wasn't quite right.

Darkonda frowned, "Why Princess... I thought you were on the AstroMegaship playing Power Ranger. What are you doing back here?"

Caught without a ready explanation, Ashley found herself tongue-tied. Rescue, however, came from a very unexpected source. The hulking shadow of Ecliptor stepped up behind her, brandishing his sword, "She has her reasons, traitor. You don't need to be privy to any of them." He took a step forward, "Now remove yourself from her presence before I do it for you."

With a mocking bow, Darkonda merely said, "As you wish, Princess," then continued on his way.

Unsure how to respond to this rescue, Ashley remained silent. Ecliptor sheathed his sword before turning to face her, "As I told Darkonda, I know you have your reasons for the things that you do and are under no obligation to share them with anyone... but I would hope that out of respect for the one who raised you, you might have shared this change in plans with me, my Princess."

Ashley ducked her gaze, desperately trying to think of something to say that wouldn't give her away. This certainly hadn't been in the cards when she'd decided to try on Astronema's form to escape! Finally, she raised her eyes to meet Ecliptor's, "The Rangers are proving more stubborn than I first thought they would. I am no longer certain that this plan will work." Mind racing, she finally landed on an idea, "I think we need to send a monster down to Earth to provide a distraction. I came here to arrange that."

Ecliptor frowned, "My Princess, you could simply have sent word, as we agreed upon when you set up this scheme... Against my advice, I might add."

Ashley was feeling more confused by the minute, "But it will work! I just need more time."

The black and green warrior turned away, arms crossed over his chest, "I don't like this, my Princess. I don't like seeing you neck deep in danger. I don't like that you are miles away across space in the enemy's camp. What use am I as your shield when you are determined to go where I can not shelter and protect you??" With that last, he turned back and grabbed her upper arms to administer an almost gentle shake.

And all that Ashley could think to say in response to that overwhelming anguish was, "I'm sorry!"

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as that apology ricocheted in the air between them. Ecliptor ground out, "You're... _sorry_?" Mere seconds later, he had flung her away and redrawn his sword, his mind clearly as lightning-quick as his arm, "You are not my Princess. I don't know how you've accomplished this, Yellow Ranger, but you will **not** parade around this Fortress undermining everything that Astronema has accomplished!"

Ashley threw up her hands in defense, "Ecliptor, wait! Before you do anything we'll both regret, let me explain!"

Eyes narrowed in anger, Ecliptor said, "I'm listening, Yellow Ranger... but I won't be for long. Talk quickly."

Doing exactly as suggested, Ashley hurried through her explanation, "You don't want me here. I don't want to be here. You don't want Astronema on the AstroMegaship, neither do I. So why don't we work together? Then we can both get what we want." Holding out her hand to the monster with an unexpectedly large heart, Ashley smiled, "Deal?"

Lowering his sword and looking like the move was costing him dearly, Ecliptor shook her hand, "I don't like it, but... Deal."

Smiling triumphantly, Ashley clapped her hands together, "Great! Here's what we're gonna do..."

* * *

Zhane perched on the edge of the console Andros was working on, steadfastly watching as Ashley left the bridge. He shook his head, "Andros, I sure hope you know what you're doing."

Andros sighed as he leaned back in his chair, "You and I both know that isn't Ashley. The trouble is, we don't know where Ashley **is**. Until we do, we can't risk tipping off the impostor. If we do, who knows what she'll do to the real Ashley?" Voice stealing with resolve, he said, "I won't take the chance of them hurting her."

Placing a calming hand on Andros' shoulder, Zhane agreed, "I know. That's why I went along with this plan, but I still don't have to like it, Andros. We just let an impostor go to run loose around the ship. And you and I both know who this 'impostor' most likely is."

"Astronema."

The word hung in the air like an omen between them. Zhane shook his head, "But here's the weird thing, Andros... The only possible motive that I can deduce from her behavior here is that she's trying to drive a wedge between the Rangers." Standing up, he began to pace, "And I gave her a golden opportunity to do something to push me off balance. TJ couldn't have set me up better for it if he _tried_." He paused in his furious pacing to look back at Andros, "She didn't go for it."

Andros frowned, "Why not?"

Throwing up his hands in disgust, Zhane slumped down into one of the other chairs on the bridge, "I wish I knew, Andros."

Andros rubbed a hand across his forehead, "I don't like when enemies fall out of their predictable patterns. It makes my head hurt."

"Agreed."

With a final sigh, Andros rose from his chair, "Well, I guess all that remains is to see how this all falls out... And hope that we're all still standing when it's over. Let's get underway."

Laying in their course, Zhane turned the Megaship out into space, with a quiet, "And luck to us all... we're going to need it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, coconuts?
> 
>  _Coming Soon:_ Astronema discovers that things aren't exactly as they appear and has an abrupt change of heart as her world is turned inside out. How will this affect our intrepid Rangers? Find out... in the thrilling conclusion to the fic! ^_~
> 
> -.-;;; Could that have _been_ any more cornball cheesy? I think not.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _April 20, 2010:_** And here we have arrived at the final part to the fic. ^_^ I hope you've all enjoyed the journey with me and that it was worth the 10 year wait. O_o I have more to tell in this ficverse, but I'm not making any promises about when that'll happen. We know what kind of trouble I get in when I make those promises. ^_~ Anyway, thanks for sticking around and I hope you enjoyed!

With a loud whoop and a cheer, Justin leapt from his seat by the communications relay. The other Zeo Rangers immediately dropped what they were doing to run over and join him. With a beaming smile, Justin said, "They're coming to visit! The Space Rangers are coming to visit! Guys, isn't that great?"

Aisha put a hand on Justin's shoulder and smiled down at the diminutive Green Ranger, "It's wonderful news, Justin. I think we could all use some company that isn't our own." She knew how much Justin had missed the other Rangers, having spent time being on a team with them. It was also hard on the younger Ranger being alone on a planet with four people who were many years older than he. Genius he might be, mature beyond his years without a doubt, but he was still a child in the place it counted most -- his heart.

Rocky grabbed the younger boy into a head-lock and ruffled his hair, "You just can't wait to see Cassie again, right?"

With an indignant squawk, Justin tried to throw the older boy off him. This soon degenerated into a no-holds-barred brawl. Aisha couldn't help an appreciative smile as she watched the two. They'd been training hard this last month and the occasional monster attack had helped hone their skills back to fighting form. She was beyond proud of all the work they had done.

Tanya and Kat stepped up next to her. Tanya smirked, "I just love it when you get that proud 'mama bear' look to you. It's really just too cute."

Aisha answered that with a laugh and a well-placed elbow, "Oh, knock it off. I'm just happy and proud of everything we've accomplished in such a short time. And why shouldn't I be?"

Kat smiled, "You _should_ be proud, Aisha."

A small bounce accompanied the Red Zeo Ranger's beaming smile, "Exactly! Nothing wrong with it."

Tanya smiled a knowing smile, "Nothing at all."

Staring at her two friends who were now _both_ smirking at her, Aisha threw up her hands, "Oh for goodness sake!" Laughing, she pulled Justin out of the rough-and-tumble and turned him to face her, "Was there any more to the message than that?"

Blinking for a moment to reorient himself, Justin frowned, "Now that you mention it... no." He frowned, "Huh. That's weird, actually. The message came over on Ashley's private channel and all it said was that they were heading this way. No ETA, no other data."

The four older Rangers eyes met. Long held instincts raised a small warning bell. Aisha frowned, "Maybe we should contact Andros and get some further details, Justin."

As he settled down to call up the AstroMegaship, the others gathered around behind him, a solid wall of support for whatever they might find.

So, no one could have said who was more surprised when Andros answered their communication with no more fanfare than usual, just a simple, gruff, "Andros, here. What's your status?"

Another shared glance, this one of startlement, as Aisha stepped up to the viewer, "I think that should be our question, Andros. Ashley just contacted us to tell us you were on your way out here, but didn't give us any other information. Everything all right?"

It was amazing how fast that boy could downshift and switch gears. Abruptly the Red Ranger's full attention was on the Zeo Team, an intense look on his face, "How did that message arrive?"

Resigning herself to giving more information than she would get, Aisha said, "On her private communication line. Why didn't she just use the ship's system?"

An irritated scowl joined the intense stare, "I'm not at liberty to say right now. We're nearby, so it won't take us long to divert to KO-35 at maximum hyperrush. We can be there in 4 hours." He paused, looking off screen for a moment before nodding and turning back, "I'll disclose the rest of the details to you in a coded missive. In the meantime, if you should receive any further communications from Ashley, record them carefully and contact me at once. Andros out."

As the screen went blank, the Zeo Rangers let out the collective breath they'd been holding. Rocky was the one who said it, "Oh man... what the hell are we getting into _now_?"

* * *

Astronema had finally managed to extricate herself from the knot that was the Power Rangers. How they managed to function as an elite fighting unit when they were as undisciplined as they were was just beyond her ability to understand. At least the Red and Silver Rangers could act like the soldiers they were. The rest of the Lightstar Rangers, though... she shook her head. How had they managed to survive this long?

Finding herself in yet another unfamiliar corridor, Astronema let out a string of inventive curses. She needed to get away and she had no idea were Ashley's room was. She was leery of asking the computer for directions -- the damned AI was too nosy for its own good. Finally selecting a door at random, she punched in the "open" command. Relieved beyond measure when it followed through without demanding a code, she slipped inside. And what she found...

Staring around herself at what she did not yet know was the default setting of the Simudeck, Astronema felt a heady sense of déjà vu. She _knew_ this place. To the marrow of her bones, she knew it. As she stared around at the trees blowing in a gentle breeze that had just a touch of autumn chill, at their leaves just turning their hues to red and gold, at the waves of soft grass fragrant beneath her feet, Astronema found herself without words. This forest was not unknown to her. She couldn't say how she knew that, but she did. Just as she knew that if she walked up the footpath upon which she stood, she would find a house at its end-- no... a home. And something was telling her... that home had once been her own.

Before she realized what she was doing, Astronema had already taken several steps up the narrow, dirt trail. Thus it was with supreme shock that she found a woman blocking her path. The sense of recognition here was even deeper than the one she'd felt when she gazed out at the forest. The woman had shoulder-length golden hair and eyes as green as the grass beneath their feet. Only an inch or two taller than she was, they would have stood eye to eye had Astronema been in her own body. The woman wore a black AstroMegaship uniform with a purple shirt beneath.

Before Astronema could utter a single word, the scene around them faded away, revealing what she now understood to be the Simudeck. The woman, however, did not disappear. Finally, Astronema blurted out, "Who the hell are you?" A fair enough question, she hoped. After all, this woman's face was in none of the intel reports she'd seen and no one had mentioned another of the Darkstar Rangers still being alive. She could only hope that Ashley didn't know this woman.

Fortune seemed to favor her as the woman responded, "My apologies, Ashley. I did not mean to startle you. This is merely a program I am working on to expand my capabilities in interacting with you Rangers. It is not yet ready for trial outside the Simudeck, nor was I intending to reveal it to you in this way. I am sorry for any fright I may have given you."

Feeling herself finally back on firmer ground, Astronema forced a smile onto her face. Though she had never seen a holographic interface, now that she knew what she was looking at, she understood. This was a program that the ship's AI was working on. Fascinating, truly, that a computer -- even a sentient one -- could seek to better itself in such a way. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she answered, "No problem, DECA. I didn't mean to be so rude, but you did scare me." Seeing a golden opportunity, she continued, indulging her own curiosity for once, "But DECA... the rest of the program... Where was that?"

The woman lightly clasped her hands behind her as the computer brought the program back online. Her husky alto voice almost faded into the background as Astronema again lost herself in the scenery, "This is KO-35, Ashley. This forest was part of the lands owned by my Creator and her husband."

A frown, "Your Creator and her husband?"

"Yes... Decka and Roland. The former Purple and Red Darkstar Rangers..." 

Astronema abruptly turned, eyes wide, ready to beg the computer not to say what she suddenly _knew_ it was about to...

"...And Andros' parents."

And that was when Astronema felt the floor abruptly drop out from beneath her, for she now knew her earlier feeling had been right. It was one of the few memories she had managed to retain from the life she'd led before being taken to serve Dark Spectre. These woods... she'd played in them often with her brother, the brother she had been told that the Red Ranger had killed. This path... the one she knew led to the place which had once been her home... the home of the Red Ranger's parents... and her own. It wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible. That would mean that all these years, her guardian, her Ecliptor, her sword and shield, the one being in the entire Universe she had felt she could trust... he had _lied_ to her. Her brother wasn't dead by the Red Ranger's hands...

Her brother **was** the Red Ranger.

Mind and heart racing with a deep sense of betrayal, Astronema ignored the woman's calling out after her and fled the Simudeck.

* * *

Two hours later, Astronema felt the ship slowing to curve into orbit. She didn't know where they were and she almost didn't care. Suddenly, the plan wasn't important. The mission wasn't important. Her own life didn't seem important, based as it had been on such a monumental lie. She had gone to ground in the one place she'd been able to find her way back to -- the Jump Tube Room. The rest of the Rangers would have to come down here eventually. She would just pretend she also had just arrived when they got here. Not that it mattered.

She couldn't continue this charade, not knowing what she now knew. How could she face the Red Ranger again? Knowing how desperately he'd been searching for his sister -- for _her_ \-- understanding, now, the lengths to which he'd almost destroyed himself... for her... she couldn't do it. She could not look him in the eye, knowing who he was, and lie to him again. She had lain awake too many nights pining for the brother that she'd lost before she had a chance to know him, too many nights grieving for the lost potential of a life cut too short, too many nights weeping for the twin whose ghostly touch she could almost feel... and now she knew why. And that deeply buried and hidden desire to have her brother back... now she knew she never could. For how could a Ranger, especially this one who saw the world in such intense divisions of black and white, ever accept her? Curling her knees tighter to her chest, she clamped down the desire to howl as she fought within herself to even acknowledge the thing that she wanted.

Luck, however, was most definitely not on her side today. The corridor doors slid open to frame the very person she was most terrified to encounter: Andros. He stared down at where she was sitting, a confused frown pulling down the corners of his lips. Before she could explain, however, she could see him come to some conclusion and clearly choose to ignore the oddity of the situation. He nodded his head towards the Jump Tubes, "Ashley, the Zeo Rangers received a very strange transmission and they'd like some help checking it out. The others are staying up here to monitor. I want you with me."

In light of recent revelations, Astronema found herself seeing the Red Ranger with new eyes. Business-like, emotionless, living for the mission and nothing else. No joy in getting to see his home planet or his fellow Ranger team... what had happened to turn him into this? Astronema may not have had much in her life, but she'd had Ecliptor, and she knew that he had loved her the best he was able. As evil as she was, she could still feel that connection... How had she never noticed before that the Red Ranger could not? So, in a way... Ecliptor had been right. The Red Ranger _had_ killed her brother. Her heart began to race for an entirely new reason as the wild thought occurred to her... maybe there was hope for them both. She would just have to be careful how she did this or she would lose her brother again -- this time, for good.

Pasting a cheerful smile on her face, she bounced to her feet to join him at the Jump Tubes, "All right! Let's go!"

* * *

Ecliptor couldn't help but stare at the young woman practically dancing in place in front of him. She _looked_ like his Princess. She _sounded_ like his Princess. She certainly didn't act like her, though. This gregarious, bouncy, almost air headed girl was **nothing** like his Princess. It was beyond disturbing. Finally, he could take it no more. Reaching out a hand, he grabbed her by the upper arm and hauled her firmly back down behind the bush. She let out a rather undignified squawk, then quieted. Another truism -- his Princess would never have let that manhandling of her person go without a fight. At least she wouldn't now that she was older. In truth, he almost missed the earlier days when she would follow his instructions without a quibble. It had made her so much easier to protect...

He felt a tentative little finger tap his arm. Looking down, he found his Princess giving him a bright, innocent smile. The sight was almost enough to make him want to gouge out his own eyes. He growled, "Yes, Yellow Ranger?"

A smirk for the slight jump she made at the noise before responding, "Well... I just thought that since we have almost an hour before they all show up, we could maybe find a way to pass the time?"

Ecliptor sighed as he raised a hand to rub at his forehead, "You are truly incapable of sitting here and waiting in patient silence, aren't you?"

The young woman offered him a sheepish grin, "Well... I could _try_..."

Shaking his head, Ecliptor settled himself into a more comfortable posture. He delivered his next line accompanied by a wry grin, "And if you mean it as well as the lady who normally wears that form did when she was young enough to utter that phrase, then the answer should more accurately be, 'Not in a million years,' should it not?"

At least the girl had the decency to blush -- no matter how wrong it looked on his Princess' face. She shrugged, "I've never dealt well with uncomfortable silences."

Finally giving in to the inevitable, Ecliptor said, "No... I can see that. Well, then, Yellow Ranger, how shall we pass the time if not in quiet contemplation?"

He should have expected her response to be what it was -- she wanted to talk. He shook his head in disbelief, "And of what shall we converse? We share no common interests and the topics upon which I would most like to hear you expound, you would no doubt prove very reticent... and vice versa. That will make this a very brief, unfulfilling talk."

She frowned for a moment -- an expression he was far more comfortable seeing on that visage... until it turned into a sunny smile, "How about the time before you joined Dark Spectre?"

A cough covered the laugh that threatened to break forth, "My dear Yellow Ranger... I am Evil. There was never a time in my life that I did _not_ serve Dark Spectre."

That last seemed to make her quite sad, "So you've never known goodness? Or love?"

After taking a moment to consider that, Ecliptor was forced to concede, "It is true that I have never known goodness... but I believe that in some small way, at least, I _have_ known love."

With the intuition that only a Ranger could possess, this one understood immediately to what he referred, "Astronema." At his nod, she continued, "Is it true, then? That you raised her?"

A somewhat tender smile graced his lips as he contemplated that question, "Since she was very young, indeed. She was given to me when she was a mere three of your years old. I have raised her as my own ever since."

Again that sunny smile -- presumably for his tender expression. It was odd, but with the many repetitions, Ecliptor found that he was finding it less disturbing to see with each passing one... and wondering what it would be like to see such a joyfully carefree expression rest on his Princess' face for real. She had used to smile like that all the time back when she was young. It was with a small shock that he realized... he had missed it.

The Yellow Ranger answered him quietly, "If that pride in your voice means what I think it does, then I guess you have known love. Does she care for you the same way?"

Ecliptor was forced to shrug, "She respects me as the one who raised her and trained her. Beyond that... I do not know. It is not our way to speak of such things."

The Ranger's eyes took on a sad cast, "No... I suppose not. No wonder you hate us so much."

"I beg your pardon?" was the only answer he could come up with to that apparent non-sequitur.

She shrugged, "Well, if I love someone, I want them to know it. If they love me, _I_ want to know it. It must be really hard to feel those things and not be able to share them. At the same time, though, to have your enemies constantly doing in front of you the one thing you wish you could, but can't... Well, I'd hate them, too."

Ecliptor looked away, "I had truthfully never thought about it that way."

With a gentle smile, the Ranger patted his arm and said, "Oftentimes other people see our problems more clearly than we do ourselves."

When the dark warrior's heart clenched with envy at the sight of that smile and with the wish that it could have truly been Astronema placing her small hand in sympathy on his arm, he was forced to admit that the Yellow Ranger had a point. He cleared his throat, "And on that more than uncomfortable note, I believe it is time we drew this conversation to a close. The Rangers should be arriving any minute now."

The understanding look that the Yellow Ranger bestowed upon him made his heart clench, yet again, this time with guilt. This is what his Princess could have been had he not had the rearing of her. Not for the first time, he wondered if he had done right by not returning her to where she belonged. Also not for the first time, he hoped she never had cause to find out. For, he didn't think he would be forgiven the necessary lies he had told if she ever did.

* * *

All seemed quiet as Andros and "Ashley" arrived on KO-35. He had deliberately not set them down near the Zeo Rangers' headquarters -- no need to give Astronema any more of an edge than she had already -- and had started walking them towards the designated meeting place. What he couldn't help but notice, however, was that Astronema was acting quite strangely indeed. Even more strangely than her attempting to be Ashley would have accounted for. She kept jerking her head to stare at things. It was making Andros more than a little twitchy. When her most recent twitch had him pulling his Astroblaster on an innocent piece of shrubbery, he decided he'd had enough. Speaking a little more sternly than was perhaps prudent, he snapped out, "Ashley! This is a routine mission, Astronema has no idea that we're here and this planet is uninhabited except for the Zeo Rangers. Are you actually seeing something or are you just trying to make me lose what is left of my mind?" Then with a smirk that he kept purely mental, he tacked on, _Let's see how you handle **that** one, "Ashley"..._

To his surprise, the faux Yellow Ranger seemed truly discomfited. She fidgeted and shrugged, "Sorry, Andros. Maybe it's just that the planet _is_ deserted." She paused and seemed to struggle with herself for a moment before finishing in a quiet voice, "Maybe... I feel I know this place, somehow."

Well... now that was interesting. Rather than giving her the easy out of explaining that this forest was the Simudeck's default setting, Andros decided to let this play out and see how far she would take it. To the best of his knowledge, Astronema had never been to KO-35... so either his information was incorrect, or this "Ashley" was not Astronema. The next few moment's exchange should be enlightening, "How do you mean?"

A puzzled frown settling onto her face that looked far more comfortable than that expression had any right to be on the visage of the sunny Yellow Ranger, she answered back, "I can't explain it, Andros. I just feel that somehow I've been here before." Turning in a seemingly random direction, she pointed off into the trees, "It's hard to see anything with it being so overgrown, but I just know that there used to be a path through here."

At Andros' utter lack of response, she turned to face him, challenge in her gaze, "I'm right. Aren't I?"

All the Red Ranger could do was mutely nod. There had indeed been a path through those trees -- it had once led to his home. But how would Astronema know that? The only one of her retinue that he knew had been to this area of KO-35 was Darkonda and that one was not known for sharing information. Andros forced himself to pause in his thinking -- he might not be known for sharing information, but one thing that Andros had managed to learn about the reptilian dark lord was that he _could_ change his shape. Perhaps this "Ashley" wasn't Astronema at all... He let a level of coldness settle into his gaze, "You are. Perhaps you can explain how you know that?"

"Ashley" clenched her fists in obvious frustration, "That's what I've been trying to tell you all along! This place is familiar, but I can't explain why! I just know I know it."

Feeling the Zeo Rangers and the rest of his own Ranger team finally in place around the edges of the clearing, Andros gripped "Ashley's" upper arm and allowed that coldness into his voice as he practically spat out the words, "You are lying... And you are **not** Ashley. Who are you and where is the real Ashley?"

"Ashley" dropped her gaze downward and let out a rueful little laugh, "I didn't think I had you fooled, Red Ranger." Eyes flicking upwards and around the clearing, she locked eyes with Zhane, "Nor you, I think, Silver Ranger."

Zhane stepped forward and shook his head, "Not for more than a moment, no. But you still haven't answered our questions: Who are you and where is Ashley?"

An amused chuckle, "One track mind, I see. Well, before I answer _your_ questions, Silver Ranger, perhaps you could answer one of mine?" Batting her eyelashes at Zhane, she said, "What gave me away? Was it the giggling? The pouting? Too much? I tried not to overdo it... but you're all always so sickeningly cheerful, it was hard to tell."

That was Andros' cue to slam her back against a tree, arm tight against her throat, "You are wearing my patience very thin, imposter."

"Ashley" let an evil smirk play across her lips, "Am I? I wasn't aware you had much to begin with. The only patience you have is for your Search, is it not?"

Zhane stepped into the sudden frozen silence that last sentence induced with a growled, "Now you're wearing _everyone's_ patience thin. It's enough. Where is Ashley?"

And that was the moment that they heard Astronema's voice shout from the other side of the clearing, "Hey! Ecliptor! This was **not** part of the plan! Let me go!" Then, perhaps the strangest sight that most of them had seen marched its way into the clearing -- Ecliptor, dragging Astronema to the edge of the circle of Rangers with a sword held to her throat.

Andros turned to Zhane, "I can't speak for you, but I am sincerely not amused."

The Silver Ranger rubbed his forehead, "No, my friend... this time you most certainly _can_ speak for me. I'm not amused, either."

Astronema gave them all a nervous wave, "Hey, guys... Miss me?"

Andros let out a breath that he'd been unaware of holding at the expression on "Astronema's" face, "Ashley, I presume?" At the other girl's nod, Andros turned back to the one he had pinned, "Then you would be Astronema." At the responding melodramatic sigh and eye roll, he shook her once, "Then why all this business of acting like you knew this place? That was only going to make you look more suspicious."

To his surprise, Astronema turned her cold glare on her guardian with her answer, "I don't know, Ecliptor... Why would I go through all that nonsense of telling the Red Ranger that I know this place? For I couldn't _possibly_... right?"

From the look in the dark warrior's eyes, if his skin could have paled, it would have. His voice shook as he spoke, "My Princess...?"

Astronema smiled brightly at her guardian's discomfiture, "Problem, Ecliptor?"

He shook his head, "No, my Princess. No problem."

Smiling a secretive smile, she said simply, "Good." Turning back to Andros, she widened her smile, "Unfortunately, I no longer have time to play with you, Red Ranger. But you and I _will_ meet again and in the meantime, I leave you with this riddle: If I know where that the path of which I spoke earlier is... do I know where it leads?" Then with an impish grin worthy of the real Ashley, Astronema materialized her staff and with one concussive blast sent them all reeling backwards, "Until next time, Rangers!"

As she and Ecliptor disappeared, the illusion placed over the real Ashley faded away, to her obvious relief. Deliberately removing himself from the reunion, Andros pulled the Green Ranger aside. At her lifted eyebrow, Andros said simply, "You, me, Zhane and a select few of the rebels. We know where that path leads. How on Earth could she?"

Aerin bit her lip, "Andros... I don't know. But you're making the grand assumption that she _does_ know. What if she was just taunting you?"

An angry growl in response, "I know that. I know she could be... But I also know that it was Darkonda that kidnapped my sister. And once he knew who I was, he baited me with the knowledge that she was alive and well and that I would never guess where she was." He spread his arms to take in the clearing, "Lady Aerin, if I had to name the last person in this Universe that I would think could be Karone... it would be Astronema."

Aerin sighed, "Andros... don't you think he might have been setting you up for this even then?"

Rubbing his forehead in frustration, Andros nodded, "Of course I've considered that. And he could certainly have told Astronema about the path, but even he doesn't know where it leads. Our home was the Ranger headquarters -- only the Rangers knew where it was. He couldn't have found that out, so how could he have told her?"

Laying a gentle hand on Andros' shoulder, Aerin spoke in a hushed voice, "But Andros, she didn't say that she knew what was at the end of the path. She just asked you if you thought she knew. The Dark Princess is a past master at using an enemy's own hopes against them. She could very well just be playing you."

It almost killed her to hear the heartbroken tone break through with his next words, "But what if she isn't? What if she _does_ know? What if Astronema..." The Red Ranger was forced to pause before uttering the next words, as though he couldn't quite bear to acknowledge what they would mean, "What if Astronema... _is_ Karone?"

Feeling his partner in quiet anguish on the edge of the circle, the Silver Ranger could not stay away, no matter how much he might want to. Zhane's hand landed on Andros' other shoulder in quiet empathy. With a sense of quiet foreboding, all three glanced up the path and shuddered. Zhane squeezed Andros' shoulder, "Then may the gods help us all, Andros. We'll need it." 

* * *

Later that night, with Ashley safely on board, Andros made his way secretly down to the Jump Tubes. So intently focused was he on his task, that the figure that stepped out of the shadows by the door nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. Zhane merely frowned.

Andros sighed, already preparing for another lecture. Zhane did not oblige. He simply said, "I thought we'd been through this," disappointment layering his voice like honey.

The Red Ranger slumped against the wall, "We have. Remember -- I don't want to place you in danger."

A rueful shake of the head, "Andros, I just love how you only remember the parts of a conversation that are useful to you."

A small smile in response, "You can't blame me for trying..."

That last earned him an equally small laugh, "No, I don't suppose I can. All right, Andros. Here's your grand moment to earn my trust. If you tell me that you are not planning to go down to KO-35 and do something ridiculous like meet with Astronema alone, I will believe you and go back to bed." Crossing his arms over his chest, Zhane lifted an eyebrow and waited.

Andros considered it for all of two seconds, then slumped, "I would love to tell you exactly that, Zhane, except for the part where that is exactly what I was planning to do. I won't lie to you, again."

Zhane sighed, "Andros... I appreciate your honesty, but I can't let you do this-- " Andros opened his mouth to protest, but Zhane raised a hand to forestall the Red Ranger's words as he firmly finished his own, "...alone."

That being the last thing that Andros expected Zhane to say, he could only blink in astonishment. Zhane continued on with, "I know how much your sister means to you. I know how important it is that you find her. Having loved you as I have all these years, how could I not? But you're twice a fool if you think that I will let you go down to an abandoned planet to meet with our sworn enemy on the off-chance that she may be the answer to your life-long search. No matter how mad I may be with you right now, I _will not_ risk losing you like that. For as important as Karone is to you, Andros... you are equally as important to me."

For a moment, Andros could only stare at his friend in mute shock. Zhane had never spelled it out for him quite so clearly before -- or maybe he had and Andros had just never realized. That level of love and devotion, it was certainly something he could understand. Somehow, he had just never realized that Zhane felt that strongly for him. And rather than making him uncomfortable, rather than feeling like an intrusion, for the first time... that emotion made him happy. Words were still not his friends, but as he'd discovered over the last several months, actions often spoke louder and more clearly. He stepped up to where Zhane was leaning back against the wall and slid one hand up to cup the Silver Ranger's cheek, then leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to those stunned lips. And in the shocked silence that followed that simple act, Andros found that he did have the words after all, "Zhane... there is no one that I would rather have at my side tonight, whether I go down there to face a fight for my life... or whether I go to meet my sister."

And for **once** , that had apparently been not only the right thing to do, but the right thing to say. Zhane's lips trembled, then broke into a wide, beaming smile -- a smile that Andros only now realized that he hadn't seen since the day they had fought. Zhane threw his arms around his partner and whispered fiercely into his ear, "Can we just forget this whole fighting thing and let everything get back to normal?"

Sweeter words were never spoken and it was with something akin to shock that Andros found himself denying them. He pushed Zhane back so he could meet his eyes square on, "No, we can't." Before the Silver Ranger had a chance to get too disappointed, Andros rushed to explain, "We can't just forget the fighting, Zhane, because you were right. I took you for granted and I shut you out of my life whenever it was convenient for me. You were right to do what you did and it was something that I needed. You can't carry the entire weight of this relationship without me and you should never have had to. We can't just forget this fight, because I don't want you to let me off the hook that easily." Gripping the Silver Ranger's shoulders tightly and giving him a little shake, Andros finished with, "I don't want to hurt you again, even by accident. If there's one thing this has all taught me, it's that you're too precious to me, Zhane... in many ways, more so than Karone could ever be."

That did it. Zhane's eyes filled with tears and he threw his arms around Andros a second time, "If this is a dream, I sure as hell don't want to wake up..."

Andros allowed himself a small smile as he gripped his partner tightly to him, "This is no dream, Zhane. This is real. I can't promise that I'm finished screwing up and the gods know I'm not perfect, but this time around, I can at least promise that I'll try. Is that enough?" At Zhane's almost frantic nodding against his shoulder, the Red Ranger's smile widened, "Now, don't you dare let me off easily from now on, Zhane. If I _do_ screw up, you'd damned well better tell me."

Zhane leaned back enough to give him a watery smile and another nod. Andros lifted a thumb to gently brush the tears away from the other Ranger's face, "Good. Then let's go get this thing over with so we can get back here and make up for lost time."

Zhane's hearty laugh was accompanied by a twinkling grin as he followed him up to the Jump Tubes, "But Andros... if we're still in this fight, there really shouldn't be sex..."

And to his everlasting surprise, Andros merely shot him an answer over his shoulder before whipping out of sight down the tube, an answer that nearly had Zhane doubled over in hysterical laughter: "Sure there can be -- hasn't Kimberly ever explained to you the twinned phenomena of 'angry-argument sex' and 'make-up sex'?"

* * *

So perhaps it wasn't in quite the right frame of mind that Andros and Zhane approached the old Ranger headquarters, but the joy in the Red Ranger's mind and the soothing pulse of their recently healed bond wouldn't allow it to be any other way. As they rounded the corner and stepped up to the house, however, what they saw was not quite what they expected. There was no one there.

Zhane frowned, "I don't understand. I thought she was to meet you here...?"

Andros, merry mood draining away, also frowned, "She was. I can't have misread that signal. There must be something..." Frustrated irritation written in every line of his form, Andros started to stalk the perimeter of the entrance alcove. Finally he paused, eyes locked on a formation of rocks just to the right of the door. "No... it couldn't be that simple."

Zhane stepped up next to him, "What is it, Andros?"

With a contemplative look, Andros knelt down next to the pile of rocks and started sifting through it, "When we were younger, we used to leave each other things like this -- I suppose we thought we were being extremely clever..." With an 'a-ha' look crossing his face, Andros finally fished something out of the pile. It was a locket. Wordlessly, he held it up for Zhane to see while pulling his own out of his shirt. Anyone could see that the pictures held safely within each were identical. Closing the locket again, Andros reached for the spot where the secret compartment of his own was located. No surprise... there was a data disc in this one, too. Using his other hand to activate the lock mechanism of the door, Andros led Zhane into his parents' home.

It didn't take long to find a vidscreen, though even Andros had to admit to a small amount of surprise that it still worked. As he slipped the disc into the reader, Zhane stepped up behind him and slid his arms around the younger Ranger's waist. And like before, it didn't feel like an intrusion -- it felt like welcome support. Leaning back against the Silver Ranger's strength and letting one of his own hands rest on the ones clasped around him, Andros hit 'play'.

Immediately, what Andros could only assume was Astronema's form filled the screen. It was the Dark Princess as neither had ever seen her before. She was wearing a simple, long-sleeved black dress and there was no make-up, no wig to hide the beauty of her now obviously human features. Tawny gold, shoulder length hair whipped about as she looked furtively around her, then focused on the camera with her grass green eyes, "Red Ranger, if you have found this locket, and more importantly this message within it, then you know that I am who I hinted that I might be. Even now I don't dare say it out loud for fear of who may overhear -- not all on this Dark Fortress are my friends. I have, myself, only recently discovered this connection between us and was as dismayed as you no doubt were this afternoon. I asked Ecliptor to verify my conclusions and he has done so to my satisfaction."

She paused to glance around her once more before returning to the recording, "For obvious reasons, this quite changes things between us. I don't believe I need to tell you that. But exactly how it does... I am not yet sure. I am still Evil and you are still Good. One night's revelations can not change that fact. But I also know this... I have spent too many nights grieving the death I thought you had suffered and I do not wish to grieve it again. What I can do to prevent it... I will. I will watch and I will plan, and perhaps... perhaps... I can prove that I am worthy of you, after all."

Another glance around, then she hurriedly tapped out a few commands on the control panel. Not sparing another glance for the monitor as she typed, she finished with, "If I have proven my identity to your satisfaction, you will now help me to prove yours. Simply replace this locket where you found it with your own message and I will come retrieve it when you have gone." Her last glance at the camera betrayed a grin as mischievous as Zhane's could often be, "I've apparently led you a merry chase these last 17 years. Congratulations on finding me... Andros." The screen went black.

Zhane's voice whispered in his ear, "And what message will you send in response?"

Andros merely slipped a new disc into the recorder and flipped it on. With a smile of warm welcome, he said, "Ollie, ollie oxenfree, Karone. I'm ready for the next round if you are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:**
> 
> Zhane: *relieved sigh* Well, thank goodness _that's_ over with. @_@;;;
> 
> Andros: I agree.
> 
> Jason: *grumps* Speak for yourself! Whatever happened with me and Billy?
> 
> Billy: *leans over to whisper in Jason's ear* Don't push that particular button. It makes the fic author embarrassed.
> 
> Jason: *blinkblink* Really?
> 
> Billy: *sigh* Really. She assures me that she's working on it, but refuses to make any promises as regards a self-imposed deadline.
> 
> Jason: In other words...?
> 
> Nuriko: *scowls, crosses arms over chest* In other words, "Keep dreaming."
> 
> Andros: *twitch* Who _are_ you, anyway?
> 
> Originally posted on my LJ: **[Master Post and Chapter List](http://rchan.livejournal.com/87796.html)**
> 
> Questions, comments, rutabagas?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for sticking with me, everyone. The story is now posted in its entirety. Enjoy! ^_^


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